Labor Day is the second deadliest day for drivers, comprising of 20% more fatal crashes than other holidays with an average of 445 deaths per year, according to a study conducted by AutoInsurance.org.
The study shows the four days surrounding major holidays in America over the course of a three-year period, from 2017 to 2019, Chris Tepedino, the author of the study, said.
Wray, Colorado. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
“We ordered the ranking based on the average number of fatal crashes during the four-day period for each holiday,” Tepedino told the Daily Caller.
Memorial Day edged out Labor Day with 20.8% of fatal crashes occurring over four days. Independence Day, Father’s Day and Cinco de Mayo trailed Labor Day for the highest driver fatality rate, in that order, according to the study. (RELATED: BRANDON: This Labor Day, Let’s Pause Politics And Celebrate Ourselves By Celebrating Americans)
Tepedino said three components contribute to Labor Day’s high driver fatality rate: drunk driving, lack of seatbelt use and increase in traffic spikes.
He said there are multiple ways to prevent yourself from drunk driving and threatening other drivers on the road.
“If you know you’re going to be drinking at a party, take the driving part out of the equation. Take a lift or get a ride from someone who is sober who can take you back to your house. Or stay overnight at the place.”
“When you’re traveling long distances like on Thanksgiving, you can leave a day early or stay a day late to avoid the big traffic rushes,” he added. “People get really irritated or aggressive because of the traffic and that can lead to reckless driving behavior which can lead to fatal accidents. If you have the vacation time, you can leave a day earlier or you can leave in the morning or you can stay a day late so you can avoid the big traffic jams that can cause a lot of fatal crashes during those types of holidays.”
Christmas, Ash Wednesday and President’s Day have the lowest holiday driver fatality rates.