Last year, more than 115 million Americans were projected to drive 50+ miles during the holiday season. Unfortunately, according to the National Safety Council, both Christmas and New Year’s Eve are among the most dangerous driving holidays in the United States.
Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researchers at TruckInfo.net found a few worrying trends for holiday travelers.
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#1: Drunk Driving Is a Major Issue Between Christmas and New Year's Eve
While Uber and Lyft have helped reduce alcohol-related traffic fatalities by 6.1%, drunk driving remains a major issue during both holidays.
More than 31% of fatalities during Christmas and NYE are alcohol-related.
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#2: Fatalities Have Been Increasing to Levels Not Seen Since 2005
While 2005 to 2009 saw a steady decline in fatalities followed by a relatively flat decade, 2022 was the worst year on record since 2005.
#3: Some of the Most Dangerous Roads Are Outside of Populated Metro Areas
While it's not surprising that metro areas with large populations also have the most driving fatalities during the holidays, three of the top 10 most dangerous roads in the country are in counties with fewer than a million residents.Â
‍From 2003 to 2022, the following roadways had the most fatalities during the Christmas and NYE holidays:
- I-15 in San Bernardino County, California: 33 (population 2.19M)
- I-10 in Riverside County, California: 17 (population 2.47M)
- US-19 in Pasco County, Florida: 14 (population 609k)
- I-10 in San Bernardino, California: 14 (population 2.19M)
- I-5 in Los Angeles County, Florida: 14 (population 9.72M)
- I-84 in Umatilla County, Oregon: 12 (population 80k)
- I-5 in Fresno County, California: 12 (population 1.02M)
- I-5 in San Diego County, California: 12 (population 3.28M)
- US-1 in Monroe, Florida: 11 (population 82k)
- I-95 in Brevard County, Florida: 11 (population 631k)
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#4: Delaware and the South Have Significantly More Fatalities Per Capita Than the Rest of the Country
While large states like California, Texas, and Florida have the most total driving fatalities during Christmas and NYE, Delaware and southern states like South Carolina, Mississippi, and Arkansas have significantly more fatalities per capita than the rest of the country.
Methodology
Fatal accident statistics were sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and population data from the Census Bureau. The Christmas to New Year's Eve holiday period was defined as Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. Unless otherwise noted, all fatality statistics are the sum of total fatalities from 2003 to 2022 (the most recent data available).
This story was produced by TruckInfo.net and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.