According to data released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the worst day for deadly car crashes is not Super Bowl Sunday, New Year’s Eve or any of the obvious choices. It actually is August 2. Drivers in Georgia should know that the IIHS came to this conclusion after studying crash data spanning the years 2012 to 2016. Researchers found that during this five-year period, a total of 505 people died on August 2 alone.
The month of August itself saw 15,914 fatalities during the same time span. There are two factors that contribute towards August 2, and the entire month, in particular, being so dangerous: the increased number of motorists on the road and the weather. The first week of August is considered the prime time for people to go on road trips, which explains the greater number of vehicles and, thus, the greater chance of an accident occurring.
The weather tends to be sunny, warm and pleasant in August, which researchers contend makes many drivers careless. Bad weather, on the other hand, puts them on their guard and makes them more likely to engage in safe driving.
Fortunately, there are ways to predict unsafe driving behaviors. Nationwide Insurance has a SmartRide program that records fast acceleration, hard braking and other factors and measures customers’ likelihood for getting into a crash. Customers receive a discount for letting the company monitor their driving.
In cases where negligent drivers cause a car accident, their auto insurance company may face an insurance claim. Victims, for their part, can speak with a lawyer about the validity of their case. In Georgia, one can seek damages even when partially at fault for the accident. Partial negligence, of course, will lower the potential amount for the settlement. An attorney can handle negotiations or, if the insurer refuses to pay out, prepare the case for court.
