Halloween: One of the safest nights on the roads
When it comes to holidays and other big nights like Halloween, studies show that tonight is one of the safest nights on the roads.
The reasons are pretty simple:
- More people are at home for trick or treaters
- People who are driving are extra aware of pedestrians so they tend to slow down on the roads
The National Highway Traffic Safety numbers show a 14% drop in fatal car crashes on Halloween night compared to the average number of fatalities on any given night in October.
The second safest holiday night is New Year's Eve, with a 13% drop.
It's New Year's Day that you have to worry about as it showed a 15% increase in the number of fatal crashes, proving the aftermath of the party can be more dangerous than the party night itself.
What's the most dangerous holiday to hit the road?
Thanksgiving Day, followed by Christmas, then Labor Day, New Year's Day and the Fourth of July.
Experts point out that drivers tend to be in more of a hurry on Thanksgiving Day and they could be feeling the effects of what's called "Drinksgiving", the night before a big meal and people go out and throw down a few drinks too many.
The state of California sees about 43 fatal crashes on Thanksgiving every year. A normal day in November would be roughly 12 fatalities.