The Good News Is That Holiday Travel is Safer
If you made it through the 4th of July holiday without automotive incident, you survived the most dangerous major driving holiday according to State Farm Insurance.
Based on the average number of collision claims submitted per year by State Farm policyholders from 2005 to 2009, the ranking of holidays from most vehicular accidents to least is:
July 4th: 6,031 claims
New Years Day: 5,403
Memorial Day: 5,321
Easter: 5,261
Labor Day: 5,211
Thanksgiving: 4,271
Christmas: 4,092
The interesting thing is that State Farm reports that their average daily intake of accident claims over that same five year period, outside of the seven holidays listed above, is 7,435. Yes, even the holiday with the highest risk of car crashes had almost 20 percent fewer reported mishaps than the days when drivers go about their usual tasks.
This would seem to be an indication that the special circumstances usually surrounding holiday travel plans keep motorists more sharply focused on the road. It is the days where driving fits into a repetitive daily routine that many people behind the wheel apparently are less attentive to what is going on around them.
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