4th of July is the day with the most crash deaths

School’s out, the office is closed, and more people than usual take to the roads. So it’s not surprising that holidays dominate the list of days when the most motor vehicle crash deaths occur. What’s interesting is how the pattern of deaths varies throughout the year. “It’s important to note that, while more deaths do occur on some of the holidays, the toll of fatalities is relentless every day, all year long,” says Allan Williams, the Institute’s chief scientist. The average during the 17 years from 1986 through 2002 was 117 deaths per day. As Americans celebrate independence on the 4th of July each year, an average of 161 people die in motor vehicle crashes. This is 12 more deaths than the average on any other single day of the year and about 40 percent more crash deaths than occur on an average day. The second worst day for crash deaths during the 17-year span was July 3. July 2 also was among the list of 10 days with the most deaths. Institute researchers analyzed data from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System, an annual census of fatal crashes on U.S. roads. The motor vehicle deaths were sorted by month, day, and hour. The period 1986-2002 was chosen to balance the effects of travel on the weekends. Researchers also gathered information on the characteristics of the people and vehicles involved in the fatal crashes. Six of the 10 days with the most deaths were holidays or near holidays. Besides the high toll on July 2-4, there was December 23, January 1, and September 2. The other four days on the “worst” list were in August.