Deadliest cities to drive in this Labor Day weekend
Data from Finder.com identifies the deadliest cities and states to drive in this holiday weekend.
As the unofficial mark of summer’s end, Labor Day weekend will be celebrated by Americans across the country with parties and weekend trips. According to data from Finder.com and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Labor Day weekend is the fourth deadliest weekend to be on the road.
Data analysts at Finder.com surveyed fatality data for 42 states collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2011 to 2016 which found that Labor Day averages 298 deaths on the road each year, peaking in 2016 with 321 fatal accidents.
Of all of the driving fatalities over the long Labor Day weekend, 31% are related to driving while drunk, with the majority of accidents (67%) happening at night.
Finder.com notes that getting behind the wheel at night is nearly twice as dangerous as driving in the morning, with 42% of deadly accidents occurring between the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., at an average of 135 fatalities, compared with 24% between the hours of 5 a.m. and noon at 77 fatalities.
Deadliest cities
Three cities are tied for the deadliest city on the road over Labor Day. San Antonio, Dallas and St. Louis all average four deaths each. Second place is a four-way tie, with a total of three deaths in Waterbury, Connecticut; Plymouth, New York; Bakersfield, California; and Denver, Colorado.
Related: Summer is the most distracted time for drivers, Travelers experts warn
Deadliest states
The top five most deadly states to drive in this Labor Day weekend are:
- Texas — 33 deaths
- California — 28 deaths
- Missouri — 20 deaths
- Illinois — 17 deaths
- Pennsylvania — 17 deaths
Similarly, the most deadly states also have the most number of alcohol-related fatalities. The states with the highest number of drunk-driving deaths are:
- California — 12 deaths
- Missouri — 10 deaths
- Texas — 9 deaths
- Colorado — 7 deaths
- Pennsylvania — 7 deaths
- Georgia — 5 deaths
- Oregon — 5 deaths
If you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, make sure to be vigilant of unfamiliar driving routes, distracted or alcohol-impaired drivers, and to protect yourself with the right insurance in the event of an accident.