Why Do Car Accident Rates Increase During the Holidays in Colorado?
The holiday travel season begins around December 22 and ends on January 2. The National Safety Council (NSC) typically estimates that around 800 people will die on the roads during Christmas and New Year. Cars have the highest rate of deaths per mile versus other forms of transportation.
What Makes Our State Significant?
Historically, Colorado and other states in the North West of the United States are among the more popular destinations for traveling in the United States, which attracts many people.
Since most accidents occur when people are on their way to or from their destinations, the year's busiest travel time is usually the few days before Christmas and the days following New Year's Day.
Increase in Traffic
Several safety issues are set to occur in Colorado as the holiday season begins. Since holiday travelers often travel at different times, the other days of the week are more likely to be less crowded than on weekends.
So Why Does This Occur?
While this means that many people get to celebrate the holiday with family members they may not see all year, it also means that the holidays are pretty congested, with traffic in many areas becoming significantly worse over the course of the weekend.
This congestion makes it difficult for drivers to make it to their destinations in time. The increased volume of cars also affects the movement of other vehicles.
Some problems can be mitigated, but others cannot. For example, if highways are very crowded, it can lead to accidents. Those accidents increase the rate of fatalities, and other drivers might not react in time.