Holiday Safety on the Road
November/December 2005

Over 600,000 Washingtonians left from and returnedto the Capitol city over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and AAA estimated that across the nation, over 37 million people traveled 50 miles or more from their homes.

As these traffic flows continue to increase over the next couple of months, it will be important for travelers to be aware and alert of their surroundings when on the road.

In 2004, accidents involving large, heavy trucks accounted for 5,190 fatalities and about 116,000 injuries. (American Trucking Associations)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that aggressive drivers cause 2/3 of all fatal crashes and are responsible for nearly 35% of all crashes. (AAA.com)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that at least 25 percent of all tow-away crashes are related to some form of driver inattention. (AAA.com)

Driver fatigue results in an estimated 1550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary loses each year. (AAA.com)

Only 14% of speeding-related fatalities occur on Interstate highways. (NHTSA 2004 Traffic Safety Facts)

One out of eight traffic fatalities in 2004 resulted from a collision involving a large truck. (NHTSA 2004 Traffic Safety Facts)

There were 16,694 alcohol-related fatalities in 2004 – 39% of the total traffic fatalities for the year. (NHTSA 2004 Traffic Safety Facts)

It was predicted that 21.7 million people would fly on U.S. airlines over the Thanksgiving travel season between November 19 and November 29, slightly more than the record number that took to the air a year ago. (Air Transport Association)

In 2004, the National Transportation Safety Board reported only one fatal airline accident in over 10 million scheduled departures. (Air Transport Association)