We're heading into the busy July 4th holiday weekend, with more than 42 million people expected to take road trips according to the American Automobile Association's holiday travel forecast. The most congested times on the road are expected to be Thursday 2-8pm and Friday 12-9pm.
The July 4th weekend is typically one of the most dangerous driving holidays of the year. The non-profit National Safety Council estimates 462 people may lose their lives on U.S. roads over the 2022 Independence Day weekend, in crashed that could be prevented. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths on U.S. roads are the most dangerous they've been in 16 years, hitting a 16-year high in 2021.
"On a typical day, more than 100 people die on our roads, and that number is climbing," said Mark Chung, executive vice president, roadway practice at NSC. "Please take safety personally and follow our safe driving tips to ensure you get to where you want to go as safely as possible. Your life and those you love may depend on it."
The National Safety Council shares these safety tips with drivers:
Ahead of the July 4th weekend, the NSC is also releasing a new safety report Wednesday, June 29th. The NSC says Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20 Years will announce new, traffic safety initiatives and calls on policymakers to take decisive action around the troubling trend of traffic fatalities. NSC says it will utilize the conclusions of this new report to identify, track, and advocate for priority actions for the federal government.
Photo Credit: Jose Luis Stephens/Shutterstock.com.