It may seem hard to believe, but the Memorial Day weekend is now just a little over a week away. While your plans might consist of little more than getting some work done around the house or visiting with friends or family in the area, many others will be doing some traveling.
Indeed, AAA is projecting that an estimated 39.3 million people will be traveling over 50 miles during the Memorial Day weekend, with an estimated 34.6 million of these people driving to their destination. This constitutes the single largest number of travelers for this particular holiday period since 2005.
Of course, with this spike in traffic levels comes an elevated accident risk, but just how dangerous is Memorial Day weekend for drivers?
Interestingly enough, the personal finance website ValuePenguin.com recently conducted a study in which it determined the nation’s seven deadliest holidays/holiday weekends.
As part of their efforts, researchers used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compile fatality averages for holidays/holiday weekends from 2011 to 2015, and arrived at the following conclusions:
- Memorial Day weekend: 312 fatal accidents per year
- Labor Day weekend: 308 fatal accidents per year
- July 4th weekend: 307 fatal accidents per year
- Easter weekend: 280 fatal accidents per year
- Thanksgiving weekend: 258 fatal accidents per year
- New Year’s: 245 fatal accidents per year
- Christmas: 231 fatal accidents per year
As to why a holiday like New Year’s, which is synonymous with alcohol consumption, fell so low on the list, some theorize it might be representative of the fact that decades of public education campaigns are finally paying dividends.
Here’s hoping that we see these numbers lowered across the board, starting with Memorial Day weekend 2017. This means drivers heading out for the long holiday need to obey the speed limit, put their phones away, drive sober and observe the rules of the road.
Consider speaking with a skilled legal professional as soon as possible to learn more about your rights and your options if you’ve been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a reckless driver.
