Deadliest cities to drive in during New Year’s weekend
Watch out for drunk drivers and driving at night, especially in California
Take care when driving over New Year’s: The holiday weekend ranks as the sixth-deadliest major holiday weekend in the US, according to finder.com research.
We analyzed data for every state collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2011 to 2017, finding that each year, road fatalities spike to an average of 248 deaths over New Year’s weekend.
Unfortunately, drunk driving for the New Year’s holiday was up last year, with 270 total road deaths in 2017 versus 249 in 2018. Let’s look forward to a downward trend for 2019.
Which cities were deadliest over New Year’s weekend 2018?
The three most deadly cities were Los Angeles and San Diego, both in California. We found a three-way tie for third most dangerous city on the road over New Year’s at five fatalities each for Riverside, California, Dallas, Texas and Orlando, Florida.
| Rank | Deadliest City | State | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | California | 10 |
| 2 | San Diego | California | 6 |
| 3 | Riverside | California | 5 |
| 3 | Dallas | Texas | 5 |
| 3 | Orlando | Florida | 5 |
*Rankings are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from December 30, 2017, to January 1, 2018. Note that Riverside includes all of Riverside County.
Which states were deadliest over New Year’s weekend 2018?
California was the most deadly state to drive in over New Year’s weekend 2018, accounting for 15% of road fatalities or 40 deaths in 2018. Next is Florida at 12% (33 deaths) and Texas at 11% (31 deaths). This isn’t surprising, since California often tops the list for states with the most crashes due to the high number of drivers and traffic congestion.
| Rank | State | Number of deaths | % of Total deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 40 | 15% |
| 2 | Florida | 33 | 12% |
| 3 | Texas | 31 | 11% |
| 4 | North Carolina | 12 | 4% |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 | 4% |
| 5 | Georgia | 10 | 4% |
| 6 | Arizona | 9 | 3% |
*Rankings are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from December 30, 2017, to January 1, 2018. We rounded percentages to the nearest whole number.
Most dangerous time to be on the road
Given that most celebrations take place by moonlight, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that nighttime is the most dangerous time to be on the road over New Year’s weekend, with 38% of all fatalities (103 deaths) in 2018 occurring between midnight and 6 am.
However, unlike with Christmas and other holiday weekends, we found little difference between driving in the morning or driving in the afternoon when it came to the number of fatalities in 2018. The next most dangerous time to drive was 4 pm to 7 pm, with 18% of fatalities and 49 deaths total.
| Time of day | Number of deaths | % of Total deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | 116 | 43% |
| Nighttime | 154 | 57% |
*Rankings are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from December 30, 2017, to January 1, 2018. We rounded percentages to the nearest whole number.
Drunk driving worst during night
Popping Champagne is nearly synonymous with ringing in the new year, which is part of why drunk driving is a major problem over New Year’s.
Over the extended holiday in 2018, nearly half (45%) of driving fatalities were attributed to drunk driving. 39% of those crashes involved drivers with a BAC of at least .08. For context, the legal limit is typically around 0.15%, depending on the state.
| Time of day | Number of deaths | % of Drunk driving deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime | 36 | 13% |
| Nighttime | 85 | 31% |
*Rankings are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data from December 30, 2017, to January 1, 2018. We rounded percentages to the nearest whole number.
Purchasing the right car insurance
New Year’s weekend is about celebrating a fresh start and resolving to ease life’s burdens. And while you can’t prevent accidents, you can prepare for when they occur.
When planning for 2019, compare your car insurance options to find the strongest and cheapest protection you’re eligible for.
For media inquiries:
Allan Givens
Public Relations Manager
203-818-2928
allan.givens@finder.com
Nicole Gallina
Communications Coordinator
347-677-4931
nicole.gallina@finder.com
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