July 4 Holiday is One of the Most Dangerous on the Roads

The July 4 holiday is one of the highlights of the year for many people. But with numerous Americans taking road trips, high spirits and alcohol being consumed, accidents typically increase over the holiday.

The July 4 holiday is frequently touted as the deadliest on the roads of America. And the problem is not only motor vehicle accidents.

The National Safety Council reports as many as 400 deaths and 41,200 injuries — including car crashes, swimming pool incidents and fireworks accidents every Fourth of July. In 2013, there were eight deaths and 11,400 injuries from fireworks mishaps alone.

Although fireworks can be deadly, research finds that the majority of deaths on and around Independence Day are from car accidents.

Between 2008 and 2012, July 4 had an average of 127 deaths in crashes each year, according to data collected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. New Year’s Day was the next deadliest holiday with an average of 122 deaths annually, reported the Los Angeles Times.

“Independence Day has historically been the deadliest day on the road for Americans, according to the Insurance Institute. Between 1986 and 2002, July 4 was continuously the day with the most car crash deaths each year, totaling 2,743 deaths,” reported the LA Times.

The AAA says July 4 is the second deadliest day for driving under the influence (DUI) deaths. It comes in just behind New Year’s Day.

From 2000 to 2009, an average of 40 percent of July 4 deaths involved a driver with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) over the legal limit.

” Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests more people are killed in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver on the weekends and at night.

I report on many DUI related injury accidents and deaths. This month Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers is running a series of blog articles about drunk driving. If you plan to drink alcohol at a party over the July 4 holiday, do the sensible thing and get a sober driver to take you home.

See the advice on what to do if you are a victim of a drunk driver from our Virginia DUI accident injury lawyers. Have a Happy July 4. We hope you stay safe, but if you are hurt in an accident, call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077.