It’s far more dangerous to drive in the winter, right? After all, you have to deal with snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain. In a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota, more than eight of ten people agreed.
But statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission contradict this common belief. In fact, the NHTSC found that nearly twice as many people die in car accidents in July and August than over the rest of the year combined. Here are the principal reasons they believe are behind this shocking statistic:
- School is out, so there are a lot more drivers on the road, and a lot more younger, less experienced drivers. Drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 account for only 14% of the population, but they are involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle accidents annually.
- More people take vacations in the summer, so there are simply more people on the road. Furthermore, many people on vacation are traveling in unfamiliar areas. Many accidents occur when motorists take a wrong turn, miss a turn or go the wrong way on a one-way street.
- Summer tends to be the season of road construction, and road construction sites are a major source of motor vehicle accidents
- Because the days are longer in the summer, people tend to stay on the road longer, especially when driving longer distances
- The presence of bicyclists and motorcyclists, who tend not to be on the roads in winter
- Road rage tends to increase in the summer, due to increased traffic and increased temperatures (the NHTSC cited aggressive driving as a factor in more than half of all fatal crashes)
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