This is the deadliest day for car crashes in America

Research shows wrecks are more lethal on Thursday than on New Year's Eve

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Be extra careful on the road Thursday. It's the deadliest day for crashes on highways in America.

August 2 is the day when car wrecks kill more Americans on average than any other day of the year, according to Bloomberg, which analyzed data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The IIHS based its numbers on deadly crashes that happened between 2012 and 2016. 505 people were killed on August 2 during that time frame, Bloomberg reported.

That means the risk of dying in a crash on Thursday is higher than on Super Bowl Sunday or New Year's Eve, which are holidays notorious for drunk drivers.

The reason? According to the report, August accounted for 15,914 deadly crashes during the period studied. Analysts found the first week of the month is prime vacation time, meaning more cars are on the road, raising the risk of a crash.

Members of Nationwide insurance reported nearly 61,000 crashes in August of 2016, which the study found was more than any other month in the last four years.


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