New Years Deadliest Holiday to be On Roadways, Study Says
ORLANDO, Fla. — Not everyone’s New Years celebration is happy and healthy as a study finds the day to be the deadliest holiday of the year behind the wheel.
Nearly 1,000 people died on U.S. roadways over a three-day period during the 2017 New Years celebration, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
About 31% of those deaths involved drunk drivers, the study showed.
The numbers ring similarly as one looks back at previous New Years celebrations. Nearly 4,000 people died in drunk driving-related accidents within the month of December between 2012 and 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Overall annual fatalities from drunk driving incidents decreased between 2017 and 2018 by 3.6 percent. However, drunk driving fatalities have hovered around an average of 300 deaths in the week between Christmas and New Years from 2012 to 2017.
AAA and Budweiser are providing ‘Tow to Go’ as an alternative to driving on New Years and until Jan. 2 at 6 a.m.
AAA members and nonmembers can request a tow truck for free and have themselves and their vehicle transported home, or a safe place within a 10 mile radius.
“Although we offer this service for all major holidays, half of our calls occur the night of New Year’s Eve. Because our drivers will be in such high demand, party-goers should not make us their primary plan for getting home,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA.
To request a tow truck, call 855-286-924 or visit AAA.com/TowToGo to learn more.
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