Beckstrom Body Shop

America's Most Dangerous Holidays

During certain times of the year, it’s just more dangerous to be driving than others here in Ogden, UT and all over the U.S. Many of these days fall on holidays for obvious reasons. When family and friends come together to celebrate, there are more cars on the road, which ultimately means more car collisions. At  Beckstrom Body Shop, we enjoy the holidays, but being safe on the road is a priority and that's why we are sharing this information with you.

Motorists are especially vulnerable on the following holidays: 

St. Patrick’s Day
One of the biggest drinking holidays, you’ll want to be careful on the roadways during St. Patrick’s Day. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 276 people were killed during St. Patrick’s Day weekends from 2009 to 2013 and two out of five fatalities due to crashes involved drunk driving. It’s a good reminder to bring your lucky charm—a designated driver.

Memorial Day Weekend

Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is considered by many as the start of summer. This day of remembrance for those who died in the country’s armed forces is one of the deadliest times to drive. According to NHTSA, about 400 people are killed in traffic accidents during a typical Memorial weekend and 44 percent of these are alcohol-related. 

July 4th
Independence Day is known as the deadliest day of the year for those on the roadways. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that more people die in automobile accidents on this day than any other day of the year, with an average of 118.4 lives lost. IIHS said it is especially dangerous for teenagers due to the freedom of summer and easily accessible alcohol.

Thanksgiving Weekend

It’s no surprise that Thanksgiving weekend is also a dangerous time to be on the road. "Blackout Wednesday," the night before Thanksgiving, is typically a big drinking day. Combine that with college kids home, most businesses closed on Thanksgiving Day and the Black Friday shopping frenzy, there are more drivers out. Bad weather is also a contributing factor. Studies show there are more than 400 fatalities around this time every year.

Christmas/New Year’s

There seem to be fewer people on the roads on Christmas Day; however, DUI check points often increase on Christmas Eve due to holiday parties. New Year’s Eve definitely makes up for it since drinking and driving is more common this time of the year. Between 2006 and 2011, 42 percent of all traffic deaths were a result of drinking and driving, according to the American Automobile Association.

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Sources: AAA, Yahoo and IIHS