Image courtesy of interstate-guide.com

CHARLOTTE – With the July 4 holiday coming up, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is warning drivers to be careful, as a recent AAA study found that Independence Day is the deadliest day for car crashes.

Public relations manager for AAA Carolinas, Angela Daley, says July 4 is consistently the deadliest day for car accidents because, unlike other holidays, it always falls on the same date.

“For Memorial Day and Labor Day, it changes based on the year, so July 4 is always going to be the holiday for every year,” Daley says.

In its study, AAA attributed the high number of traffic fatalities to the higher number of drivers on the road and the fact that many people drink during Independence Day celebrations, impairing their driving.

July 4 also has more drivers than other prominent holidays because, according to Daley, summer has the highest traffic volume of any season.

AAA estimates that 988,500 North Carolinians will be driving during this year’s July 4 holiday. But, this is actually a two-percent decrease from 2012.

Daley points out that gas prices have risen eight percent in North Carolina since 2012, but she also adds that last year’s travel numbers may have been inflated.

“Most years, the July 4 holiday is a five-day weekend, so depending if it falls on a Thursday, like it is this year, the travel holiday is through Wednesday to Sunday,” Daley says. “But every seven years, it falls on a Wednesday, and that’s what happened last year.”

By comparison, North Carolina traffic during July 4 in 2011 was around 940,000.

Related Stories
‹
NC Rural Roads Among Deadliest in Nation
North Carolina’s rural roads are some of the most unsafe in the nation, according to a recent study. TRIP, a national transportation research group, revealed in its rural road study earlier this week that North Carolina ranks eighth in the nation in rural road fatalities. AAA spokesperson Tiffany Wright spoke on the matter. “North Carolinians […]
Memorial Day Motorists Expected To Hit 10-Year High
There's bad news and good for motorists this Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA Carolinas, the roads will be crowded but the gas will be cheap.
Triangle Expressway Toll Increases 5% With New Year
Commuters using the Triangle Expressway will pay more in 2014 as the rates increased nearly five percent Friday to pay off the bond that helped build it.
Chapel Hill: Downed Tree Shuts Down West Cameron Avenue
Chapel Hill officials are asking drivers to find alternate routes as a downed tree has shut down a portion of West Cameron Avenue.
Carrboro: Roads Closed Due To Multiple Down Power Lines Following Crash
The Town of Carrboro released a traffic alert following an accident that brought down multiple power lines.
Average US Vehicle Age Hits Record 12.6 Years as High Prices Force People to Keep Them Longer
Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much. S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said Wednesday that the average vehicle […]
Orange County: Saturday Crash on I-85 Leaves State Trooper Injured
A pickup truck slammed into a state trooper's vehicle on I-85 in Orange County, leaving the trooper with minor injuries.
Tourists Are Packing European Hotspots, Boosted by Americans
Written by COLLEEN BARRY Tourists are waiting more than two hours to visit the Acropolis in Athens. Taxi lines at Rome’s main train station are running just as long. And so many visitors are concentrating around St. Mark’s Square in Venice that crowds get backed up crossing bridges — even on weekdays. After three years […]
Local Government Services to Be Affected on July 4
The celebration of Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what will and won’t be happening that week: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed on Tuesday. Residential trash and curbside recycling will not be collected, […]
Here's What You Need to Know Before Chapel Hill-Carrboro's Fireworks on July 4
The Town of Chapel Hill will once again celebrate Independence Day with its annual fireworks celebration at Southern Community Park on Tuesday, July 4. The park will open for the event at 7 p.m., with fireworks expected to begin at approximately 9:20 p.m. “This is truly an all-hands-on-deck event and I’m proud to see how […]
›