The holidays bring about a lot of car crashes.
Researches are predicting that tomorrow, Friday, will have the most car crashes within the next week.
Read below and drive safe.
A study released recently by the University of Alabama shows that while increased traffic throughout the holiday season raises the risk for car accidents, more crashes occur during the few days surrounding Christmas than at any other time of the year. Researchers studied the crash data recorded in our state over the past 10 years. With the increase in collisions comes the likelihood of more car crash injuries and deaths.
According to the university's Center for Advanced Public Safety, there were 18 percent more automobile wrecks last year between Dec. 21 and 26 than during a similar six-day period at Thanksgiving. Compared to the period that includes New Year's Day, there were 26 percent more. However, the accidents that occurred around all three holidays were similar in severity, with a little more than 20 percent of them resulting in injuries or fatalities. One researcher attributes the increase of accidents around Christmas to last-minute shoppers and travelers who are unfamiliar with their surroundings.
The crash data shows that fewer people are traveling on the actual holidays, making the roads safer for driving on those days. This year, with Christmas falling on a Wednesday, researchers predict that the highest risk of crashes will be the Friday before, as well as Dec. 23 and 24. As for New Year's Eve -- formerly one of the worst times for drunk driving fatalities -- researchers say that initiatives to cut down on impaired driving have decreased the number of accidents.