The Fourth ย of July weekend, beginning tomorrow, is known to be the deadliest for travelers of the year. In 2010, 392 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the holiday, about half of which involved at least one driver with an elevated blood alcohol concentration. Non-fatal injuries sum in the tens of thousands.
According to AllState, an average of 134 people die on July 4th each year, and is most deadly for teen drivers. Teens crash four times more often than any other age group, and account for six to ten percent of driving fatalities on Independence Day.ย
Distractions and texting are assumed to be a large part of why. Perhaps Florida’s recently passed ban on texting and driving will put a damper on this trend this holiday. While the law doesn’t go into effect until October, public perception may have already started shifting.
