For most people, the summer months are the ideal time to go out for a cruise by themselves or with their favorite people. A summertime drive with the windows down and the radio on can be exhilarating and relaxing.
As beautiful as it can be to go out on the open roads during the summer, drivers have to be aware of the risk involved. Statistically, the summer months see a large number of particularly severe collisions. What factors contribute to make driving in the summer so much more dangerous than driving during the rest of the year?
Increased drunk driving risk
Summertime sees a lot of outdoor socialization. People host barbecues and picnics. They may throw back a few cold beers while out on the boat or at a pool party. Unfortunately, between casual social activities and holidays when people have time off from work, there are many opportunities to drink too much. The chance of a drunk driving collision is higher in the summer, especially around major holidays. According to an analysis of drunk driving fatalities, summer has the highest number of fatal drunk driving wrecks. Approximately 28% of all drunk driving deaths happen during the hottest months of the year.
An influx of inexperienced drivers
Both high school students and college students generally have the summer off from class. More free time means more road trips with friends and more unsupervised parties. Unfortunately, the summer is statistically the time of year when young adults are at the highest level of risk for a fatal collision. The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day see far more teenage collisions that end in tragedy than any other time of the year.
More out-of-town drivers
The final main issue contributing to traffic risk during the summer is the tendency for young adults and families with children to travel for vacation. Those who are unfamiliar with local roads can easily become distracted by navigation systems or might make unusual and dangerous decisions in traffic, such as abruptly turning without using a turn signal because they almost sped past their exit.
All of those factors, combined with the risk of summertime storms and the effect of glare on traffic visibility, help increase the risk of serious collisions during the summer months. Understanding what makes the risk of a wreck higher at certain times of the year can help drivers theoretically avoid a crash that could ruin the summer for them and their loved ones.
