Car Crash Deaths Labor Day Weekend Could Be Highest In Years
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The National Safety Council is warning motorists that Labor Day weekend could be the deadliest in eight years.
The agency predicts that nearly 450 people will be killed during the holiday weekend, and it's basing its belief on recent statistics showing that car crash death rates have been rising for two years.
But industry analysts say you have to take a closer look at why.
"You've got a lot more company out there," says Jim Lardear, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "Vehicle miles traveled has steadily increased over 2015 and into 2016 so more people are on the road."
He says it's in your best interest to be a defensive driver by paying attention and avoiding distractions.
Lardear says we'll see more crashes the weekend before and after Labor Day, but the number of fatalities will be higher over the holiday weekend due to a spike in drunk driving.