Florida is one of the most dangerous states for motorists traveling during Memorial Day weekend, according to a new study.
With Memorial Day just around the corner, Jerry insurance agency examined which states saw the most total traffic fatalities during Memorial Day weekend over the past decade. The insurance shopping app found that the Sunshine State had the third highest rate of deadly crashes, with 331 deaths over the timespan. Texas and California took the top two spots on the list, with 448 and 358 deaths, respectively.
Per capita, West Virginia, Louisiana and South Dakota suffered the most fatalities over the past decade.
A deeper dive into the study found that Palm Beach County recorded the highest fatality rate per capita during the weekend, followed by St. Louis and Fresno counties.
Jerry noted that, nationally, deaths from traffic crashes rise about 12% Memorial Day weekend compared to non-holiday weekends, the report showed. Additionally, the report found that more than 4,100 people across the country were killed in crashes during Memorial Day weekend over the past decade.
Data also showed the number of traffic fatalities rises throughout each day during the long weekend, peaking around 8 p.m., but remaining elevated until 3 a.m. Notably, Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning are the deadliest hours on Memorial Day weekend.
According to Jerry, alcohol is involved in more fatal crashes during Memorial Day weekend than the average weekend. Over the past decade, 39% of all fatal crashes during the holiday weekend involved at least one driver who had been drinking alcohol, compared with 36% of all weekend fatal crashes in 2019.
Jerry analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatal crashes during the holiday weekend period from 2011 through 2020. To calculate per capita fatalities, Jerry analyzed population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.