We love to celebrate the 4th of July with family, friends, food and fireworks, but all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation’s roads. The fact is, this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes.
In 2014, over the 4th of July holiday (6 p.m. July 3rd to 5:59 a.m. July 7th), 164 people were killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Those preventable deaths make up 41% of the 397 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the 4th of July period.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend!