With an increase in consumer spending, travel is up and more and more families are hitting the road for the holiday seasons this summer. This boost in travel is expected to be beneficial for tourist towns in terms of revenue, but burdensome due to traffic as well as an increased risk of accidents.
Which holidays are the most dangerous when it comes to vehicle accidents?
According to a study by Value Penguin, you are four times as likely to be the victim of a fatal vehicle accident over the Memorial Day weekend than any other standard weekend. While all holidays seem to pose a higher risk than regular days, it seems that the summer holidays seem to have significantly higher rates of accidents than others.
- Memorial Day - The top of the list of most dangerous holidays to drive is Memorial Day with an average of 312 accidents per year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Labor Day - Labor Day had the second highest average of fatal accidents with 308.
- Fourth of July - Running a close third is the Fourth of July holiday with 307. Many of the accidents occurring on the Independence Day holiday involve vehicles in transit to and from fireworks displays.
- Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving saw an average of 250 fatal accidents per year for the research period.
- New Year's - New Year's had the second lowest average with 245. The decrease in accidents on New Year's has often been associated with an increase in campaigns for safe driving.
- Christmas - Christmas has the lowest average for fatal accidents of any holiday with a yearly average of 231. This low number is often attributed to poor weather conditions and family events keeping people indoors.
What factors increase accidents?
With such an increase in the number of accidents during the holiday season, you may find yourself wondering what factors can lead to these higher statistics. There are many causes and factors that influence the number of accidents during the holidays including:
Driving in an unfamiliar area
Many drivers may be venturing far from home and that means traveling on unfamiliar roads and areas. Drivers may not be aware of all the driving laws in an area or may find themselves driving more aggressively because they are unsure of turns or routes to get to their final destination.
Distracted drivers
Whether it is being distracted trying to operate navigation devices or distractions from kids who have been in the car for hours, holiday travel can cause you to lose your focus. Distracted driving is still one of the top causes of accidents.
Intoxication
The holidays are all about celebration and during celebrations, people are more likely to imbibe. Even drivers who know not to drive while intoxicated may not realize their reaction time is slowed even if they have only had a few or had drunk earlier in the day. Many drivers who end up driving while mildly intoxicated do not realize they are still impaired.
Heavier traffic
The sheer number of drivers on the road over the holidays can help to account for the increase in accidents, AAA estimates that 39.3 million drivers will be making more than a 50-mile trip this Memorial weekend. This increased number of drivers on the road will lead to an increase in traffic and congestion on main roads causing conditions that are more likely to result Heavy loads
Heavy loads
The summer months are the perfect time of year to get out the camper or take the boat for a fishing trip. What this means for drivers is that there will be more cars on the road hauling large items. Vehicles with large loads will have more difficulty stopping as well as a harder time changing lanes or turning.
While knowing the risks of accidents when driving during the holiday season probably won't deter the hoards of drivers that will be hitting the highway this summer, hopefully, it will encourage them to exercise more caution and avoid common accident causes as well as drive more defensively when traveling on holidays.
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