The anniversary of America’s independence as a nation is cause for a celebration, but July 4 celebrations pose many safety risks.
Let’s start with an obvious one: road safety.
This year, AAA estimates that more than 47.7 million Americans will travel between July 1-5, which would make this the second-highest Independence Day travel volume on record.
“Travel is in full swing this summer as Americans eagerly pursue travel opportunities they’ve deferred for the last year-and-a-half,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel in a statement.
Of those expected to travel, the majority will hit the roads, the transit mode with the highest rate of fatalities per passenger mile. AAA predicts 43.6 million will travel by automobile, 3.5 million by air and 620,000 by other modes of transit, i.e., bus, train, cruise.
“The National Safety Council (NSC) calls on everyone planning to travel for the holiday to follow our safe driving tips to ensure you get to where you want to go as safely as possible,” said Mark Chung, NSC vice president of roadway practice in a statement. Your life and those you love may depend on it.”
The NSC estimates that 400-580 people may die on U.S. roads this weekend, a result of increased traffic and that holiday celebrations often involve alcohol consumption.
AAA, in collaboration with INRIX, a company that provides location-based data and analytics, expect typical drive times nearly double in major metro areas nationwide, and drivers in Boston and San Francisco could see nearly three times the delays.
“With travelers eager to hit the road this summer, we’re expecting nationwide traffic volumes to increase about 15% over normal this holiday weekend,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX in a statement.
View the slideshow for tips on other July 4-related safety hazards from the American Red Cross.