We have entered the deadliest time of the year to be on the road, Utah’s 100 Deadliest Days. For years, traffic safety officers, newscasters and even the car accident lawyers here at Robert J. DeBry have warned drivers about the deadliest days on the road in Utah.
The 100 days span from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
During this time, there are a few things that factor into the increase in fatal car accidents.
THREE FACTORS IN UTAH’s 100 DEADLIEST DAYS
While most people would expect the winter months to be the most dangerous, it is the summertime that consistently sees the most car accident fatalities. In a paradoxical way, when the roads appear to be safest, drivers are at the highest risk when they are on the road. Things like inexperienced drivers, good weather deceiving drivers into driving carelessly, and the consistent danger of driving under the influence typically increasing is what causes a spike in danger.
Increased Number of New Drivers — In the past, our car accident lawyers have pointed out that each year during the summer there is an increase in the number of teen drivers on the road. These teens are not in school and are mostly inexperienced. This alone factors into the roads being more crowded with careless drivers.
Good Weather’s Deception — Drivers of all ages get careless as they drive, and this is a result of falling victim to a sense of smooth sailing under the sun. When the weather is bad, drivers tend to pay more attention and take extra precaution as they drive. However, when the weather is good, drivers fall into a passive lapse and forget they must stay alert and drive safely.
Driving Under the Influence — In addition to inexperienced drivers and the deception of good weather, the summer brings out a time for everyone to have a bit more of fun, but when the fun involves alcohol, it can become a big problem on the road. A lot of the fatal accidents during the summer involve DUIs, but with the new .05 BAC measurement, hopefully, that drops the number of DUI-related accidents.
COMPARING THE 2018 NUMBERS
In another recent car accident lawyer blog, we shared that there were 17 less DUI-related fatal accidents in 2018 compared to 2017, and 9 fewer fatalities overall — in total, there were 264 car accident fatalities in 2018 and 273 fatalities in 2017. It is great to see those numbers decrease, but that hasn’t stopped the high number of fatalities occurring during the 100 Deadliest Days. During 2018’s Deadliest Days, there were 102 deaths, 12 more than 2017 and the second-highest in over a decade.
Doing the math, the 102 fatalities make up 38.6 percent of all 2018 car accident fatalities. The hard thing about this is the fact that those 100 days make up only 27 percent of the year.
It is these harsh numbers that motivate us to share as much as we can about the 100 Deadliest Days each year. We want everyone to drive responsibly and stay safe while on the road. If you or someone you know is in a fatal or non-fatal car accident, contact the car accident lawyers and wrongful death attorneys here at Robert J. DeBry.
