Good cheer leads many Americans to slip behind the wheel when they shouldn't on Jan. 1. Nearly half of all traffic fatalities that day involve alcohol, the most of any U.S. holiday, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
But New Year's Day isn't the deadliest of the year.
More from Forbes.com:
• Full List: Most Dangerous U.S. Holidays
• Most Dangerous Times to Drive
• Digitally Driving Car Safety
That title belongs to Thanksgiving. Last year, 502 people were killed on the road that day. On a typical day, 102 people die in traffic accidents. Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA, says the combined factors of more than 50% more drivers on the road and higher-than-usual alcohol consumption contribute to its danger.
See list of Most Dangerous Holidays below
"More vehicles create greater conflict potential," he says. "And unfortunately, during holiday times, celebratory actions, people drink and get out on the road, and that leads to a problem, too."
Last year's Thanksgiving deaths were down from a 26-year average (the DOT began tracking traffic fatalities in 1982) of 556 in part because volatile gas prices that summer and early fall had deterred some families from driving, Sinclair says. This year, with gas prices averaging $2.63 a gallon nationwide and holding, he expects the number of highway travelers--and fatalities--to rise.
Even non-fatal crashes will take their toll. According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes cost American taxpayers more than $100 billion each year. Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that $36 billion is paid out annually in insurance claims.
Of course, the human toll from auto accidents is the most severe. Between the list's top three days--Thanksgiving, Labor Day and Independence Day--an average of 550 Americans lose their lives on a holiday each year.
Behind the Numbers
To determine the most dangerous holidays for drivers, we used traffic fatality data from NHTSA. We based our ranking on the average amount of deaths on six federal holidays for which fatalities have been tracked since 1982 (we also calculated the average percentage of alcohol-related fatalities for each holiday since 1982, but that percentage did not affect the ranking). Deaths were counted for just the one day, not a holiday weekend or period.
An estimated 91% of Americans will travel by car to reach their destination this Thanksgiving, according to the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of the Department of Transportation. During that holiday weekend (Thursday to the following Monday), the number of Americans on a road trip longer than 50 miles increases by 54%. During the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, the number of trips increases by 23%.
Not only are there more people on the road during holidays, but, for Christmas at least, they're driving longer as well. While the average Thanksgiving road trip is 214 miles, the average Christmas or New Year's trip 275 miles, compared with a national average of 261 miles for long trips during the rest of the year. The RITA report says the travel rates for Christmas and New Year's depend largely on whether or not Christmas and New Year's land on a weekend. Thanksgiving, since it always falls on a Thursday, is less variable. Ellen Martin, a spokeswoman for the DOT, declined to forecast what this year's travel rates might be.
Eyes on the Road
Alcohol abuse is a main concern for people who track fatality data, since driving fatality rates are always higher during holiday periods than non-holiday times, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Young partygoers are particularly at risk: the NHTSA says drivers aged 21 to 24 have the highest level of involvement in alcohol-impaired driving.
"Looking at fatalities in crashes involving 21- to 24-year-old drivers during the last two weeks in December from 2002 to 2006, nearly four fatalities out of every 10 were in alcohol-impaired crashes," a December 2008 report from NHTSA said.
However, a less-hyped aspect of safe driving, especially around the holidays, is vision itself. More than 11 million Americans have uncorrected vision problems, and those lead to impaired driving, says Ed Greene, the CEO of The Vision Council, a nonprofit organization that represents manufacturers and suppliers in the optical industry.
List of Most Dangerous U.S. Holidays
To determine the most dangerous holidays for drivers, we used traffic fatality data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. We based our ranking on the average amount of deaths on six federal holidays for which fatalities are tracked since 1982 (we also calculated the average percentage of alcohol-related fatalities for each holiday since 1982, but that percentage did not affect the ranking). Deaths were counted for just the one day, not a holiday weekend or period.
1. Thanksgiving Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 502
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 567
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 41%
2. Labor Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 487
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 544
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
3. Independence Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 491
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 542
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
4. Memorial Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 425
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 508
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
5. Christmas Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 420
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 414
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 42%
But New Year's Day isn't the deadliest of the year.
More from Forbes.com:
• Full List: Most Dangerous U.S. Holidays
• Most Dangerous Times to Drive
• Digitally Driving Car Safety
That title belongs to Thanksgiving. Last year, 502 people were killed on the road that day. On a typical day, 102 people die in traffic accidents. Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA, says the combined factors of more than 50% more drivers on the road and higher-than-usual alcohol consumption contribute to its danger.
See list of Most Dangerous Holidays below
"More vehicles create greater conflict potential," he says. "And unfortunately, during holiday times, celebratory actions, people drink and get out on the road, and that leads to a problem, too."
Last year's Thanksgiving deaths were down from a 26-year average (the DOT began tracking traffic fatalities in 1982) of 556 in part because volatile gas prices that summer and early fall had deterred some families from driving, Sinclair says. This year, with gas prices averaging $2.63 a gallon nationwide and holding, he expects the number of highway travelers--and fatalities--to rise.
Even non-fatal crashes will take their toll. According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes cost American taxpayers more than $100 billion each year. Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that $36 billion is paid out annually in insurance claims.
Of course, the human toll from auto accidents is the most severe. Between the list's top three days--Thanksgiving, Labor Day and Independence Day--an average of 550 Americans lose their lives on a holiday each year.
Behind the Numbers
To determine the most dangerous holidays for drivers, we used traffic fatality data from NHTSA. We based our ranking on the average amount of deaths on six federal holidays for which fatalities have been tracked since 1982 (we also calculated the average percentage of alcohol-related fatalities for each holiday since 1982, but that percentage did not affect the ranking). Deaths were counted for just the one day, not a holiday weekend or period.
An estimated 91% of Americans will travel by car to reach their destination this Thanksgiving, according to the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of the Department of Transportation. During that holiday weekend (Thursday to the following Monday), the number of Americans on a road trip longer than 50 miles increases by 54%. During the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, the number of trips increases by 23%.
Not only are there more people on the road during holidays, but, for Christmas at least, they're driving longer as well. While the average Thanksgiving road trip is 214 miles, the average Christmas or New Year's trip 275 miles, compared with a national average of 261 miles for long trips during the rest of the year. The RITA report says the travel rates for Christmas and New Year's depend largely on whether or not Christmas and New Year's land on a weekend. Thanksgiving, since it always falls on a Thursday, is less variable. Ellen Martin, a spokeswoman for the DOT, declined to forecast what this year's travel rates might be.
Eyes on the Road
Alcohol abuse is a main concern for people who track fatality data, since driving fatality rates are always higher during holiday periods than non-holiday times, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Young partygoers are particularly at risk: the NHTSA says drivers aged 21 to 24 have the highest level of involvement in alcohol-impaired driving.
"Looking at fatalities in crashes involving 21- to 24-year-old drivers during the last two weeks in December from 2002 to 2006, nearly four fatalities out of every 10 were in alcohol-impaired crashes," a December 2008 report from NHTSA said.
However, a less-hyped aspect of safe driving, especially around the holidays, is vision itself. More than 11 million Americans have uncorrected vision problems, and those lead to impaired driving, says Ed Greene, the CEO of The Vision Council, a nonprofit organization that represents manufacturers and suppliers in the optical industry.
List of Most Dangerous U.S. Holidays
To determine the most dangerous holidays for drivers, we used traffic fatality data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. We based our ranking on the average amount of deaths on six federal holidays for which fatalities are tracked since 1982 (we also calculated the average percentage of alcohol-related fatalities for each holiday since 1982, but that percentage did not affect the ranking). Deaths were counted for just the one day, not a holiday weekend or period.
1. Thanksgiving Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 502
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 567
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 41%
2. Labor Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 487
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 544
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
3. Independence Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 491
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 542
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
4. Memorial Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 425
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 508
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 45%
5. Christmas Day
Number of Fatalities in 2008: 420
Average Number of Fatalities Per Year Since 1982: 414
Average Percentage of Alcohol-Related Fatalities Since 1982: 42%
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