OPINION: Black Friday is unnecessary, dangerous

Black Friday is truly one of the most chaotic holidays, bringing out peoples’ inner beast. Casualties can range from pushing people out of the way for a discounted item, to getting hurt over a TV. Not only that, but the traffic is absolutely horrible, even if you aren’t planning on shopping at all. Therefore, it would be better to stay home and wait out the rush. 

There are many cases of injuries during Black Friday. Some deaths are caused by getting shot over an item, or getting trampled on. The numbers aren’t exactly huge, but nobody should ever die over an item.

That is not the only issue, as traffic plays a huge role in making this date a catastrophe. Research from Eglaw.com shows that car accidents increase by thirty four percent in Black Friday. This is due to the roads getting full of vehicles, and getting backed up everywhere. Many people try zipping through the clogged up traffic in a hurry to get to the store, and get into many accidents backing up the traffic even more. 

Though the vaccine has been more widespread, COVID-19 numbers are higher than they were at this time last year. Therefore, the close encounters people will have can easily result in a negative impact. In heavily populated cities like Detroit, Black Friday could bring a lot of cases if we are not careful. The stores need to take precautions, and people need to listen to them. Even with precautions, it will be hard to minimize any contact or social interactions between people. 

It is important to control yourself. This means driving safely, social distancing in the stores, and not fighting over the items. Best of all, is to just stay home. With today’s technology, we can enjoy these prices over our phones or computers. Instead of putting yourself and others at risk, you can purchase these items for the same price at home.