WASHINGTON – When you think of the deadliest month to drive, the height of summer travel probably doesn’t come to mind. But if you’re planning a road trip soon during the dog days of summer, plan to use extra caution out on the road.
On highways and roads across the U.S., August is historically the deadliest month to drive, says AAA Mid-Atlantic. August includes four of the top 10 deadliest days — Aug. 3, 4, 6 and 12 — according to The American Safety Council.
July also has three days in the top 10.
Mark Henderson was driving along Interstate 95 south with his family (heading from Newark, N.J. to Williamsburg, Va.) when WTOP caught up with them at the Dale City rest stop.
Henderson was taken back to learn the news that August is so deadly.
“I do find that surprising. I never heard that, I didn’t know that,” he says.
August is known for its longer road trips and more people hitting the road as they try to squeeze in the last bit of that summer vacation.
“So they’re saying that because people travel so much in August, a lot of people die,” Henderson says.
The auto club warns if you are traveling between now and Labor Day to be extra cautious because seven of the deadliest days of summer driving fall between now and Labor Day.
Last year in Virginia, there were more than 10,000 crashes in August, says AAA. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles says that’s an average of 325 crashes each day with two people dying daily and 187 injuries daily.
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