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The deadliest days
for car crashes

The holidays are a deadly time to be on the road. Every year, hundreds of Americans die as a result of alcohol-related car crashes. Labor Day ranks high up on the list.

"People are making the most of the end of summer," says Eric Bolton, spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "Unfortunately, some people choose to drink and drive."

NHTSA has been tracking car crash statistics for a quarter of a century. Two years ago (the latest statistics available), 519 people died in car accidents during the three-day Labor Day weekend. Out of that total, 40 percent died as a result of alcohol-impaired driving. By comparison, 391 people died that same year during the three-day period surrounding New Year's Day. In this case too, 40 percent were alcohol related.

The Fourth of July generally always tops the list. Statistics gathered over the past 25 years show that, on average, nearly 51 percent of all deadly traffic crashes on July 4 are related to alcohol — although that percentage varies from year to year. Other holidays on the list include Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bolton says that when people think of a deadly holiday, "the intuitive thought would be New Year's Day." However, that association may be precisely why people stay off the roads on New Year's more than they do on July 4, he says. (While the New Year's statistics are totaled over three days, the Fourth of July stats are for one day.)

No matter what day it is, most crash fatalities occur on two-lane roads. Weekends are more dangerous than weekdays and more people die while driving in rain compared to snow or sleet. December, January and February are generally the most dangerous months for car fatalities.

NHTSA's 2007 annual report also states that the most dangerous time to drive is between midnight to 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, half of all fatal crashes that year occurred at speeds of 55 mph or more.