What are the statistics on accidents occurring on Labor Day?

Car accidents are always traumatic for Washington residents. Labor Day is one of the worst holidays on the road. These are some statistics on accidents on the holiday.

How many fatal car accidents occur on Labor Day weekend?

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 400 people die in car accidents over Labor Day weekend. On average, another 49,000 victims survive but suffer serious injuries during the holiday. Over a period of five years, the NSC reported a nearly 9% increase in fatal car accidents over Labor Day compared with other, non-holiday weekends.

Why is there an increase in fatal car accidents during Labor Day?

Labor Day and other weekends normally see an increase in car accidents. Many of these are likely to result in fatalities. The reason that there is an uptick in these accidents is that more people hit the road to drive to destinations to visit family members and friends to celebrate the holiday. With more vehicles on the roads, it’s only natural that more accidents occur.

Additionally, during Labor Day weekend, there are more people celebrating with alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, some of them get behind the wheel believing they are safe to drive, which makes for a dangerous situation. Even drinking one or two beers can cause certain drivers to become impaired. This can even occur if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is under the legal limit of 0.08%.

Fatigue is also an issue during Labor Day. People who drive long distances for many hours may become tired during their trip, which can also contribute to the problem of more car accidents.

It’s possible to stay safer over the Labor Day holiday weekend by preparing ahead of time. If you plan on driving, don’t drink and make sure you take rest breaks to avoid fatigue.