The National Safety Council estimates more than 450 people may die this Labor Day weekend in preventable crashes, a decrease of 2% compared to the same holiday period last year. NSC offers safety tips. Research from Cars.com shows more road trips, carpooling, and EVs this weekend.
NSC Stats & Tips
This year’s estimate reflects the national decrease in motor vehicle fatalities experienced through the first six months of 2022, but the figures are no cause for celebration. Historically, the second half of the year is more deadly than the first, and analysis shows from 2018 to 2020, deaths on U.S. roads over Labor Day weekend made up more than 12% of all traffic fatalities occurring in September each year.
“With schools and workplaces closed for the holiday weekend, many families drive, bike, skate, scoot or walk over Labor Day,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. “Mobility systems across the country, however, were built for speed and the efficient movement of vehicles, not the safe movement of people. Knowing that, extra precaution must be taken so everyone who leaves home has the best chances of returning safely.”
NSC urges all drivers to share the road responsibly by following these safety tips during this Labor Day holiday weekend—and always:
- Prepare before you go: Before hitting the road, make sure your car is safe for driving. Vehicle owners should check the oil, put air in the tires, and check for and repair open recalls. Visit ChecktoProtect.org to see if your vehicle has an open recall, and get it repaired for free.
- Buckle up: Lack of seat belt use is a top cause of fatalities in crashes. Buckle up, while also making sure you have appropriate car seats installed correctly.
- Designate a sober driver or arrange alternate transportation: Holidays are a cause for celebration, but alcohol is only one cause of impaired driving. Drugs, including opioids, marijuana and some over-the-counter medicines, can cause drowsiness, alter visual functions and affect mental judgment and motor skills.
- Slow down: Speeding is a factor in more than a quarter of all traffic fatalities. Drive the speed limit or below it if conditions dictate. Be sure to pay close attention to those walking and biking in order to keep all road users safe.
- Drive distraction-free: Thousands have died in car crashes involving cell phone use. Put your phones away and #JustDrive.
- Look before you lock: Pediatric vehicular heatstroke is still the leading cause of non-crash motor vehicle-related fatality for children. In 2022 alone, 17 children in the U.S. are reported to have died because of this completely preventable tragedy. Always check your back seat for children or animals when you reach your destination.
- Demand safer roads: Join the Road to Zero Coalition to learn about the Safe System approach on road safety. Elements include rumble strips, bicycle lanes, clearly marked crosswalks, roundabouts and much more.
To create communities where all road users can be safe any day, it is important to be mindful of how American traffic safety efforts today inform the mobility systems of tomorrow. A recent report commissioned by NSC entitled, Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20 Years, explores the potential evolution of transportation over the next two decades and its implications for mobility safety. To move the needle on safety, it is evident what must be done across sectors—doubling down on proven countermeasures and interventions, supporting the adoption and implementation of life-saving technology and prioritizing safety through a Safe System approach. NSC is committed to leveraging this three-pillar approach.
Drivers Hit the Road for Weekend–Fear Monkeypox- 10% Taking EVs
With air travel woes continuing and gas prices falling, a Labor Day travel survey conducted by car-shopping marketplace Cars.com™ (NYSE: CARS) reveals Americans are hitting the road for their final summer vacation. The survey found that of the 64% of respondents who plan to travel for Labor Day weekend, 80% will drive to their destination1. Of those not planning to travel for the holiday, nearly a quarter cited high gas prices as the reason — significantly lower than the 42% of respondents who cited high gas prices as their reason for staying home over Fourth of July weekend2.
“For many, driving is not only the most economical way to travel, but the most comfortable and convenient,” said Jenni Newman, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “While gas prices are still too high for some, we are seeing pain at the pump ease just in time for the holiday weekend. Travelers are also saving on gas by turning to electric and hybrid vehicles, with 36% of road-trippers using alternative fuel cars this Labor Day.”
Cars.com’s survey also found the following trends1 impacting 2022 Labor Day travel:
- Carpooling to save on gas: Vacation carpooling continues to be a popular option, with 73% of travelers planning to drive with others and 47% attributing their carpool plans to a desire to save on fuel.
- Change of plans: Some 52% of travelers who typically prefer to fly are now going to drive due to high ticket prices and ongoing airline disruptions. Additionally, 30% of respondents planning to drive say they’ve changed their destinations and are now traveling farther.
- A growing number of electric and hybrid vehicles on the road: Among the 36% of travelers planning to take a road trip over Labor Day weekend, 10% plan to take an EV and 26% planning to take a hybrid. This is up from the Fourth of July weekend, where 3% took an EV and 9% drove a hybrid.
- Growing concerns as monkeypox cases spread: Sixty-four percent of survey respondents are at least somewhat concerned about contracting monkeypox while traveling this Labor Day weekend. Driving in a personal vehicle can reduce the number of people whom travelers come in contact with and provide some peace of mind while traveling.
- Family road trips: Forty-nine percent of Labor Day travelers plan to road-trip with kids, with 63% having one or two children in car seats. This month, Cars.com released its annual Car Seat Fit Report Card, a resource for families to understand how current vehicles on the market stack up when it comes to safe car seat installation.