What Are The Deadliest Days For Car Wrecks In Virginia?
Key Highlights:
- Most deadliest days for car wrecks in Virginia occur on weekends, specifically, on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Memorial Day through Labor Day are the deadliest days for car accidents of the year.
- July 4 is often considered the deadliest day on American roads for Virginia car wrecks.
- The increase in dangerous holiday traffic accidents is fueled by alcohol.Â
- In Virginia traffic safety, negligence is key to proving fault; the 1% rule is ruthless.
What Are the Deadliest Days for Car Wrecks in Virginia?Â
There are no random, dangerous days on Virginia roads; rather, the dangerous days occur around weekends, summer, and holidays, and the reason behind that always relates to human behavior. You will be aware of those days when Virginia car accidents occur at their peak by looking at the data given below.
There are days that are more deadly on the roads of Virginia than others. And when another person’s negligence causes an accident, you have the right to seek justice. I am Robert Tatum, founding attorney at Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm. For over 65 years combined since 2006, our veteran-owned firm has handled cases of Virginia car accidents and fatal car accidents. If your accident took place on the weekends, holidays, or on any of the most deadly days for car accidents, we know how to get results.
The Most Dangerous Days to Drive
Weekends are by far the most dangerous days of the week to drive, with Saturday and Sunday accounting for the largest percentage of fatal car accidents and alcohol-involved accidents, and many of the worst occurring past midnight crashes on Sunday morning following late-night drinking on Saturday night. Weekdays experience a slight increase around the evening commuting hours, but the increase in danger occurs primarily on the weekends.
Most Dangerous Holidays in Virginia
A few holiday traffic accidents cause increased danger year after year, with alcohol being present in nearly all of them.
Summer Holidays
Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day are some of the deadliest days for car accidents of the year, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showing Independence Day to be the single deadliest day of the year on U.S. roads.Â
In the state of Virginia, the danger is real: On the 2024 Memorial Day holiday weekend alone, the Virginia State Police documented 11 deaths in nine serious car crashes on Virginia highways.
Winter Holidays
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s complete the list. New Year’s is usually the holiday with the highest incidence of drunk driving fatalities compared to any other day, with accidents occurring at a rate well above average, and increased travel and increased drinking during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday traffic accidents period. Involvement of alcohol is much higher in holiday crash fatalities compared to any other day of the year.
Reasons for Summer Being the Deadliest Season
The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been called the “100 Deadliest Days” since many people travel during this period as schools close and youths begin to drive more often, and also because summer parties are more common, hence there are more drunk drivers on the road.Â
Virginia traffic safety is no stranger to this either, with AAA Mid-Atlantic reporting 246 fatalities in Virginia teen-driver accidents between 2019 and 2023, almost a third of which occurred in the summer.
Why These Factors Cause the Spikes
Days by themselves do not cause Virginia car accidents; behaviors do. Certain behaviors are consistent in most deadly days.
Impaired and Drowsy Driving
Alcohol is the single biggest factor causing Virginia car wrecks on holidays and weekends, as well as drowsy driving on holiday trips that last for a long time. This is because the driver drives poorly, veers from the lane, and judges the distance poorly.
Aggressive Driving
With the free roads during the summer holiday season, it’s very tempting to speed, tailgate, and pass inappropriately. This is because, as speed increases, there’s less time for reaction and increased impact during the accident.
Distractions
According to the NHTSA, cell phones are one of the main causes of serious car crashes on any day of the year. With many cars during the holiday trip, a distraction of just a few seconds could be fatal.
Dangerous Days and Times
The evening to early morning hours prove deadly in particular, especially during weekends and holidays when the largest number of drunk drivers hit the road.Â
Weather plays a factor, too, in southwest Virginia; the sudden onset of fog in the mountains and icy conditions along routes like I-77 by Fancy Gap and I-81 are responsible for some of the worst Virginia car wrecks in the commonwealth. The heavy holiday traffic accidents just multiply that risk.
What Virginians Can Do to Reduce Risk
One cannot control other drivers, but a few practices will go far in reducing your risk during the dangerous times:Â
- Plan your sober ride before attending the event; appoint a designated driver or call a rideshare service.Â
- Make sure to avoid driving late at night on holiday weekends.Â
- Always drive carefully and keep a distance from the car ahead so that you can handle the situation better during rush hour.Â
- Turn off your phone and fasten your seat belt always.Â
- Be alert for drunk drivers at night on holidays.
Injuries and How to Proceed After an Accident
There are many major injuries you may sustain in a high-impact accident, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, fracture of any bone, and internal bleeding. Even if you are injured, you will have to call services like the police and ambulance to obtain a medical report.
What a Virginia Car Accident Attorney Can Do for You
Following serious car crashes incidents, the task of a car accident attorney will be to document everything before it becomes impossible the accident report, video footage of the collision, and electronic evidence from a vehicle. Then he will define who is at fault and handle insurance claims as well as collect all possible compensation allowed by the law. This is even more important in Virginia traffic safety cases, where strict liability applies.
Injured in an Accident in Virginia? Talk to Tatum & Atkinson
Deadliest days for car accidents follow a pattern: Weekends, summer, holidays, and drinking, but Virginia car accidents can turn your world upside down in an instant. If your injury was the fault of someone else, then knowing your rights will not cost you anything.Â
Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm, your local Virginia car accident attorney, have their office in Cedar Bluff, servicing accident victims from southwestern Virginia. Virginia cases are represented by Jon Ward, licensed to practice law in Virginia, and founding partner Season Atkinson serves on the national board of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; appropriate for the drunk driving accidents that make so many holiday traffic accidents fatal.Â
The Heavy Hitters investigate the accident, secure the evidence, and know what to do about Virginia’s 1% rule. Call us at (800) 529-0804 for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis; you do not pay unless you win your case in court.
Frequently Asked Questions!
Is Virginia really more dangerous on holidays than the rest of the year?
Of course, fatal car accidents and serious car crashes increase during holiday times and throughout the summertime, and this can be seen in the statistics published by Virginia’s DMV every year. What makes it happen is neither the date nor the time but the combination of increased traffic and alcohol consumption.Â
Does a crash happening on a holiday change my legal claim?
It does not necessarily. Indeed, a case involving another driver’s fault must be proved, no matter whether the accident took place on a holiday or not. However, when holiday traffic accidents cases is caused by a drunk or reckless driver, it creates additional grounds for the lawsuit.
What if the other driver was drunk?
Cases involving the impaired driver are much more effective since the driver’s culpability is unquestionable. Be sure to inform the police officer about any signs of intoxication, which will enable you to get the intoxication mentioned in the police report.
How does Virginia’s contributory negligence rule affect me?
Virginia has a pure contributory negligence rule in place. Consequently, “if the claimant has contributed even to a minimal degree to the accident, he/she will not be entitled to compensation.” Hence, insurance companies will do everything possible to lay the blame on the customer. Proof of the fault of the other driver is crucial.
How long do I have to file a claim in Virginia?
Usually, two years after the accident in question for injury claims. The longer you wait to file a claim, the more you risk losing evidence. Video images from the scene of the accident may be overwritten within weeks, while repairs to the vehicles involved in the crash could erase other vital pieces of evidence.
How much do you have to pay for a car accident lawyer?
You need not worry about having to make any payments at all in advance. Nothing is charged until there is a successful resolution of the case, since it all happens on a contingency basis. Also, there is no fee for the first consultation with a car accident attorney.
