New study reveals the deadliest holidays for Florida drivers, and the safest

A new study has revealed which US holidays are the most dangerous for drivers in Florida, based on reported road fatalities – and it turns out Thanksgiving is the deadliest.

The research, compiled by Ohio personal injury lawyer John Fitch, analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data on fatal motor vehicle crashes reported on major US holidays to identify which are the most dangerous for drivers.

Drivers may want to think twice before taking to the road on Thanksgiving, as the holiday sees the highest increase in road fatalities compared to any other event in the US.

The Sunshine State sees an average of 35.7 fatal crashes on the national holiday each year – which is nearly four times the daily average for November (9.5).

This is a substantially higher rise than seen across US holidays generally, as the typical increase is 78% between the day of the event and an average day in the same month.

While it’s not clear what the exact reason for this increase is, it could be that ‘Blackout Wednesday’ – otherwise known as Drinksgiving, plays a role in increasing the danger for drivers.

And even for those who aren’t partaking in the alcohol-heavy event, they could still be affected by the after-effects of celebrating with their family, such as feeling tired, sluggish, or run down.

With findings from the National Safety Council revealing that driving without sleep for a consecutive 20 hours is just as dangerous as driving with a blood concentration of 0.08% (the US legal limit), it makes sense that celebratory holiday days pose a higher risk on the road.

Following behind Thanksgiving as the second-deadliest holiday for drivers is Christmas, which sees on-the-day fatalities up by 190% compared to the rest of December. In third is Labor Day with an increase of 166% – which is 49% lower than Thanksgiving’s rise.

Fatalities reported on major holidays, compared to monthly averages

Holiday	Month of Fatalities	Day of Fatalities	% On-the-Day Change
Thanksgiving	9.5	35.7	274
Christmas	9.8	28.5	190
Labor Day	8.6	22.9	166
New Year’s Day	9.1	10.8	19
Fourth of July	7.8	8.5	9
Halloween	9.2	8.9	-3
New Year’s Eve	9.8	8.6	-13
Memorial Day	9.1	7.5	-18

On the other end of the scale, the holidays that proved the least hazardous for drivers are Halloween, New Year’s Eve and Memorial Day.

In fact, drivers may want to travel on these days compared to any other time in October, December or May, as all three see a decrease in fatal crashes on the day versus throughout the month.

In the run-up to the spookiest day of the year, the average daily fatalities are 9.2, while Halloween itself only has 8.9 – a 3% drop perhaps caused by people walking while trick or treating.

New Year’s Eve sees a more significant drop of 13% down to 8.6, against December’s average daily figure of 9.8 – likely as everyone is busy attending parties.

This is in sharp contrast to New Year’s Day which sees a rise in on-the-day fatalities, increasing by 19% to 10.8 from the 9.1 typical of a day in January, suggesting the aftermath of New Year’s Eve celebrations are more dangerous than celebrating the event itself.

Memorial Day is the safest of them all, with a drop of 18% down to 7.5 on the day of the holiday from the 9.1 typical of a day in May.

Commenting on the findings, a John Fitch spokesperson says: “It’s a well-known fact people travel to spend time with their friends and family on holidays, so naturally, there’s going to be more traffic on the roads in the run up to a major event like Christmas or Halloween. 

“With increased traffic comes increased risk – particularly for celebrations that can run quite late, like on New Year’s Day, as people are likely to be tired from the night before and therefore may struggle to concentrate as well as they would do normally.”

“If you plan to travel, you need to be conscious of your condition and consider your safety on the road. Ask yourself, are you okay to be driving? Have you slept enough? Will the alcohol be out of your system? Only when the answer is yes to all of those is it safe to drive.”

(Sources:  John Fitch;  U.S. Dept. of Transportation, NHTSA)
(Cover photo image credit: Twitter)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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