Roughly 61.6 million Americans are expected to travel by car this Independence Day weekend, a 2.2% increase from last year and the highest volume on record, according to AAA.As travelers prepare for the holiday, the National Safety Council warns that 437 traffic fatalities may occur over the weekend.Each year, the NSC projects how many traffic deaths may occur on Independence Day using the National Highway Traffic Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System data.This year’s projection is a 27% decrease from last year’s estimate. The drop is due to a shorter holiday weekend compared to previous years.Since the Fourth of July falls on different days of the week each year, the NSC measures its traffic activity estimates based on the day the holiday occurs. When the holiday falls between Friday and Monday, the travel period is 3.25 days long. This year, the celebration runs from 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 6, local time. For the past two years, Independence Day landed on Tuesday and Thursday, which extended the holiday period to 4.25 days. The last time the celebration was 3.25 days was in 2022. That year, 464 traffic deaths occurred.But even with a shorter period, Independence Day remains one of the more dangerous holidays for traffic collisions, according to Ken Kolosh, a statistics manager at the NSC.Over the past decade, the majority of Independence Day weekends have resulted in higher traffic fatalities than the weekends before and after the holiday. Traffic deaths refer to fatalities involving all types of road users, including pedestrians, vehicle occupants, cyclists and more.In 2023, there were 602 traffic deaths during the Fourth of July weekend, a 19% increase from the weekends before and after. How to stay safe this weekendKolosh recommends following all the traffic rules this weekend, including obeying the speed limit and wearing a seat belt.“If we all buckle up this Fourth of July holiday and make sure our passengers are buckled up, a hundred lives could be saved,” he said. Kolosh recommends driving defensively and staying focused, as you are more likely to be sharing the road with drivers who may be under the influence.In 2023, 38% of deaths that occurred during the Independence Day weekend involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver, said Kolosh. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
WASHINGTON — Roughly 61.6 million Americans are expected to travel by car this Independence Day weekend, a 2.2% increase from last year and the highest volume on record, according to .
As travelers prepare for the holiday, the warns that 437 traffic fatalities may occur over the weekend.
Each year, the NSC projects how many traffic deaths may occur on Independence Day using the National Highway Traffic Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System data.
This year’s projection is a 27% decrease from last year’s estimate. The drop is due to a shorter holiday weekend compared to previous years.
Since the Fourth of July falls on different days of the week each year, the NSC measures its traffic activity estimates based on the day the holiday occurs. When the holiday falls between Friday and Monday, the travel period is 3.25 days long.
This year, the celebration runs from 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 6, local time.
For the past two years, Independence Day landed on Tuesday and Thursday, which extended the holiday period to 4.25 days.
The last time the celebration was 3.25 days was in 2022. That year, 464 traffic deaths occurred.
But even with a shorter period, Independence Day remains one of the more dangerous holidays for traffic collisions, according to Ken Kolosh, a statistics manager at the NSC.
Over the past decade, the majority of Independence Day weekends have resulted in higher traffic fatalities than the weekends before and after the holiday.
Traffic deaths refer to fatalities involving all types of road users, including pedestrians, vehicle occupants, cyclists and more.
In 2023, there were 602 traffic deaths during the Fourth of July weekend, a 19% increase from the weekends before and after.
How to stay safe this weekend
Kolosh recommends following all the traffic rules this weekend, including obeying the speed limit and wearing a seat belt.
“If we all buckle up this Fourth of July holiday and make sure our passengers are buckled up, a hundred lives could be saved,” he said.
Kolosh recommends driving defensively and staying focused, as you are more likely to be sharing the road with drivers who may be under the influence.
In 2023, 38% of deaths that occurred during the Independence Day weekend involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver, said Kolosh.
