Crime & Safety

August One of the Deadliest Months for Driving, AAA Reports

In 2011, there were 86 fatal crashes reported in August in Virginia. And one of the deadliest days of the year is approaching this week.

Be safe while driving, especially on Tuesday—which driving safety experts say is one of the most dangerous days to drive all year. 

The month of August traditionally has some of the highest number of fatal crashes all year, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2011, there were 86 fatal crashes reported in August in Virginia alone, higher then any other month, according to the NHTSA.  

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In Fairfax County, 44 people were killed in car crashes in 2011, according to Virginia State Police data; 45 were killed in 2012. Just this Sunday, a Fairfax man died after his car crashed into a cell phone store

More people on the roads during the summer on weekend trips accounts for the high number of accidents this season, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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There is some good news: Virginia's crash fatalities overall have decreased by 6 percent over the past five years, according to the Virginia State Police. (Though in that same time, injuries sustained in crashes has increased 3 percent).

The deadliest days to drive, according to the American Safety Council:

  1. July 4
  2. July 3
  3. December 23
  4. August 3
  5. January 1
  6. August 6
  7. August 4
  8. August 12
  9. July 2
  10. September 2


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