August: The deadliest month of the year

8/11/2011

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging drivers to take caution during this month, as statistics have shown August to be the deadliest month of the year in terms of car accidents.

According to the NHTSA, records going back to 1994 show that more people die on the road in August than any other month. The most recent data, for 2009, shows 2,864 deaths. The average for August works out to 1.09 for every 100 million miles traveled, beating September, the second most dangerous month, which has a rate of 1.08. The safest month on the road, March, has a 0.94 average.

There are several reasons for the high accident rates, MSN reports, but most have to do with the fact that there are simply more people out on the road driving further distances. It's simply a busy month for America's highways, whether it's beach traffic or a summer road trip.

Even the hot weather contributes to accidents. For example, higher temperatures can be particularly rough on your tires. That's why it makes sense to buy tires before you hit the road, rather than waiting for them to rupture or go flat on a hot summer's day.