National Safety Council Analysis: Nearly 620 People May Lose Their Lives on America's Roads this Independence Day Weekend

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Jun 28, 2023, 07:00 ET

With the holiday period extended through Tuesday, NSC calls on everyone to be safer

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to an analysis by the National Safety Council, 619 people may die in preventable motor vehicle crashes this Independence Day weekend, observed this year between 6 p.m. on Friday, June 30 and 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. With Independence Day being one of the riskiest driving holidays of the year, NSC urges all road users to be safe because lives depend on it.

"Summertime, and especially long holiday weekends, are a popular time to travel, celebrate and enjoy life. Unfortunately, the uptick in motor vehicle crashes puts a damper on this joy each year. If 619 people do perish in this single weekend, it's nothing less than a tragedy because these deaths are preventable," said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. "This is what gives NSC and other safety advocates across public and private sectors hope; there are ways to end this national crisis. Let's do our part to be safer people so we can all live our fullest lives."

People can be safer on the roads by buckling up, slowing down, wearing a seat belt, and by driving free of distraction and impairment, as data show 39% of fatalities during the Independence Day holiday period involve an alcohol-impaired driver, one of the highest percentages among all the major holidays. For more safety tips, and to learn about what can be done by all to address roadway safety in the U.S., visit nsc.org/saferoads. Review supplemental information about the Independence Day holiday fatality estimates, and additional motor vehicle data and research at injuryfacts.nsc.org.

About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for nearly 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

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SOURCE National Safety Council