Thinking about going on a late-summer road trip? You might want to take the bus or the train instead. According to a new report from insurance company and financial institution Nationwide, August is the deadliest driving month of the year with people getting into more car accidents in the U.S. than any other time.
The study looked at data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, that showed that at least 15,914 people died in car accidents in August between 2012 and 2016. Nationwide members enrolled in the company's SmartRide program, also reported more than 60,970 accidents in August of 2016, again, more than any other month in the last four years. Hard braking, sudden speeding and traffic congestion were all major factors for the increase.
“These critical pieces of data about driving habits have been identified as some of the leading contributors to auto accidents,” said Teresa Scharn, Nationwide associate vice president who helps build and manage the insurer’s telematics program. “When drivers are armed with this information, they can make necessary adjustments to their driving behaviors that will help them be safer drivers.”
Some states have it worse than others. The study says New Yorkers are more likely to be found speeding, while residents in Arizona were more likely to get into hard braking accidents.
If you're really looking to avoid an accident, you don't want to drive on August 2nd. That was the deadliest day of the year according to the data reviewed. Up to 505 traffic fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes than any other day on the calendar over a five year span. Fridays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. are also pegged as the most aggressive time for drivers behind the wheel. The data showed that during this time, drivers were more likely to show instances of hard braking and faster accelerations than any other time of the week.
The study looked at more than 600,000 members and more than 1.3 million vehicles that are enrolled in Nationwide's SmartRide program.
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