Wednesday, August 11, 2010

August is Dangerous Month for Driving

Driving a motor vehicle any time can be dangerous, but there are some times that are statistically more dangerous than others. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spokesman, Russ Rader recently noted, “getting behind the wheel of a car is the riskiest thing most people do every day.” However, there are certain times driving is riskier than others. The following information is compiled from reports from Forbes.com and WebMD Medical News. Some of this information is common sense, such as driving at night is more dangerous than driving during the day and more crashes occur on the weekend than mid-week. With that said here are some crash facts to keep in mind:

- The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reports the most dangerous month to drive is August.

- Saturday is the most dangerous day to drive followed by Friday and Sunday.

- Tuesday and Wednesday are the safest driving days of the week.

- The most dangerous hours to drive on any given day are between 5:00pm and 7:00pm.

- The safest time to drive during the day is between 4:00am and 5:00am.

- July 4th is the most dangerous driving day of the year. Followed by: July 3rd, July 2nd, December 23rd ,January 1st and September 2nd.

- New Year’s Day and Halloween are the most dangerous days for pedestrians, and

- Almost half of all fatal motorcycle crashes occur in June, July and August.

Everytime you get behind the wheel of a car you are at risk. Please be a safe and courteous driver. Please use your seat belt and insist that all occupants in your vehicle use their seat belts and make sure all children are properly restrained.