Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog

A new report published in the journal "Traffic Injury Prevention" concludes that October has the highest death rate per distance driven. In fact, the danger of dying in a car accident is 16 percent greater in October than in March, the safest month.

Researchers analyzed monthly fatal car accident figures in the U.S. from 1994 to 2006 and found October had a death rate of 10.2 per billion kilometers, compared with March's 8.8 per billion kilometers. The next deadliest months were November and December, respectively. February and April are the next safest after March.

Michael Sivak, of the University of Michigan Transportation Safety Institute in Ann Arbor and author of the report, was not able to determine the reason why October driving is more deadly than March driving. He believes it is the result of several factors. A key factor could be daylight, however. The shortening of the daytime coupled with the end of Daylight Savings Time results in more hours of darkness when driving is substantially riskier.

According to the study, traffic deaths in the U.S. fell from 10.7 to 8.8 per billion kilometers driven from 1994 to 2006. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced that 7,689 motorists were killed in January through March this year, a 9 percent decline from a year ago and a low not seen in nearly 50 years. Although these are hopeful statistics, traffic safety advocates say there is little room for pride or complacency. The reality is that the majority of traffic fatalities result from preventable accidents. Distracted driving, failure to use a seat belt, dozing at the wheel, and driving recklessly or under the influence account for a number of traffic deaths. These are all things that you, as a driver, can control. Put away your cell phone. Buckle up. Stay alert. Don't drink and drive. Drive with care. With a continued concerted effort by conscientious drivers, these statistics can improve even more.