The National Safety Council estimates that 466 people could die on US roads during the Labor Day holiday in 2021. That would be a 19% increase from the 390 deaths over Labor Day weekend in 2020. Florida’s most dangerous month for driving is March, which saw 36,413 car accidents in 2022. April saw 32,861 car accidents in 2022, which was the second highest. Holidays are some of the busiest times for travel, and many people travel on the roads. Alcohol consumption during celebrations is a factor in holiday car accidents in Florida and around the country.
National Safety Council estimate
There is always uncertainty around estimates, and the last couple of years saw fewer people driving. The 466 death estimate has a 90% confidence interval between 386 and 552. Labor Day holiday car accidents were lower from 2005 to 2010 and plateaued in recent years. In 2021 and 2022, there was another rise because more people were driving.
Injuries
A medically consulted injury means a person saw a medical professional. The current injury-to-death ratio is 114:1 and rounded to the nearest hundred. The number of injuries doctors see from holiday period car accidents may be around 53,100, and the confidence interval would be between 44,000 and 63,000. The Florida PIP 14-day rule requires all people injured in a car accident to seek medical care within 14 days.
Seat belts
Many studies show that seat belts prevent fatalities during accidents 45% of the time. People remembering to wear seat belts could save about 184 lives on the road during the holiday weekend. Florida law requires people in the front to wear a seat belt or child restraint device. People over 18 and in the back seat don’t have to wear a seat belt under the law.
Impaired driving is another factor in car accidents during Labor Day weekend. Alcohol-impaired fatalities mean the driver’s blood alcohol level was at least 0.08. In 2019, 38% of the Labor Day period car accidents were from alcohol-impaired drivers. Florida’s zero-tolerance policy includes drivers under 21 with a blood alcohol level of at least 0.02. All drivers should avoid alcohol and be aware of the possibility that other drivers are under the influence.