The Deadliest Days and Times to Be on the Road

A pattern has taken place over the past 25 years since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, has been tracking the data. They have recently published statistics on the most unsafe days to be on the roads. The data shows that it is not weather or fate where these certain days are concerned, but rather the drivers that are to blame.

The top ten deadliest days seem to be:

July 4
July 3
Dec 23
Dec 24
Dec 22
Aug 3
Jan 1
Sept 1
Sept 2
Aug 4

These dates basically mean that drivers should be more cautious on the roads and if it is possible to stay off the roads, that would be a better option. Holidays seem to bring more fatalities on the roads, as well as the days leading up to the holiday and the days just after. The deadliest days seem to be around Memorial Day, Labor Day, The Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve.

The study went on to find out the most dangerous days of the week all year round as well as the most deadliest times of day. The top three deadliest days of the week were Saturday, Sunday, and then Friday. No surprise, really. The weekend is when there is more traffic on the roadways, generally. The top three deadliest times of the day were found to be 3-6 pm, 6-9 pm and 9 pm to midnight. Also not a surprise since from 3-6 pm is when most people are getting out of work and trying to rush home. From 6-9 pm is also a rush hour time. From 9 pm to midnight, it is dark and people are trying to get somewhere to have fun, such as out to a late dinner or out for drinks.

The most important things to keep in mind when safety is concerned is to always wear a seat belt. Wearing a seat belt has been known to save lives. Do not drive when you are tired. This has caused many accidents as well as fatalities. Another obvious tip is to not drink and drive. More often than not, innocent people lose their lives because of a drunk driver. These tips are especially important to remember around the holidays when stress levels are high, people run themselves ragged into severe fatigue and the alcohol is easy to come by. This is when travel seems to be at its highest as well.