Contacts:

Richard Retting
202-445-1225
rretting@samschwartz.com

Josh Rogers
646-801-3932
jrogers@samschwartz.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Most Wonderful Time of the Year Is also Deadly on the Roads

More than 250 people may lose their lives this Christmas according to an analysis by Sam
Schwartz

(DECEMBER 23, 2019) It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but for thousands of families
across the country, the joy of Christmas is shattered by traffic collisions. Each year during the 72-hour
period from Christmas Eve to December 26th about 260 people die in traffic crashes and nearly 20,000
are injured.

Despite continuous advances in motor vehicle safety features and roadway design practices, the number
of traffic deaths during the three-day period from Christmas Eve to December 26th has remained fairly
steady as shown in Figure 1, according to a Sam Schwartz analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety
Analysis (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data.
 Number of People Killed in Traffic Crashes:
December 24-26
350

300
308 303
250 276 270
260 264
243 236
200 228 233

150

100

50

0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 1: Number of People Killed in Traffic Crashes: December 24-26 (Source: FARS)

Making this loss of life even more tragic is the young age of many of the crash victims. As shown in
Figure 2, the largest number of people killed were between 25 and 34 years old. The mean age of the
people who were killed is 42.

Number of People Killed in Traffic Crashes Dec 24-26

by Age Group: 2009-2018
600

484
500
415
400
344 331

300
241 247
225
201
200
119
100

0
<15 15-20 21-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

Figure 2: Number of People Killed in Traffic Crashes Dec 24-26 by Age Group: 2009-2018 (Source: FARS)
While many people think of freeways, such as interstates, as the major location of fatal crashes,
freeways actually account for less than 20 percent of the people killed during the 72-hour period from
Christmas Eve to December 26th. As shown in Figure 3, non-freeway arterials — the main roads that
carry local and regional traffic through our communities, including thousands of miles of 2-lane rural
roads — account for almost half of all traffic deaths. And collectors/local roads, which typically serve
residential areas and downtown traffic, account for nearly twice as many traffic deaths as freeways.

PERCENT OF PERSONS KILLED DEC 24-26

BY TYPE OF ROADWAY: 2009-2018

Collectors and
Local Roads
33%

Non-Freeway
Arterials
49%

Freeways
18%

Figure 3: Percent of Persons Killed December 24-26 by Roadway Function Class: 2009-2018 (Source: FARS)

It is also noteworthy that more than half of all crash deaths during the 72-hour period from Christmas
Eve to December 26th occur at night, as shown in Figure 4. In addition to the increased risk caused by
dark lighting conditions, fatal crashes are more prevalent at night due to alcohol impairment, fatigue,
and the opportunity for higher travel speeds.
 PERCENT OF PERSONS KILLED DEC 24-26 BY LIGHT
CONDITION: 2009-2018
Dawn/Dusk
4%

Dark
60%

Daylight
36%

Figure 4: Percent of Persons Killed Dec 24-26 by Light Condition: 2009-2018 (Source: FARS)

As a leading traffic engineering and planning firm, Sam Schwartz works closely with state and local
agencies across the country to improve traffic safety through changes to roadway design and
operations; by providing instruction on best traffic engineering practices; and by conducting behavioral
safety research. Unfortunately, roadway infrastructure can only provide so much protection against fatal
and serious injury crashes occurring.

“These chilling figures serve as reminder to all drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists to take
personal responsibility for their safety and to look out for their loved ones,” said Richard Retting, a
widely recognized expert in traffic safety and the National Practice Leader for Safety & Research at Sam
Schwartz. “We can all help reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries during the upcoming holiday
season by fastening seat belts, slowing down, driving sober, and keeping our eyes — as well as mean
minds — on the road.”

Three states, Texas, Florida, and California, have by far the most traffic deaths during the 72-hour period
from Christmas Eve to December 26th for 2009-2018. The following appendix provides the number of
persons killed in this period by state.
 Persons Killed Dec 24-26 by State: 2009-2018 (Source: FARS)
Sorted by State Sorted by Number of Deaths
Number of Number of
State State
Persons Killed Persons Killed
Alabama 61 Texas 283
Alaska 6 Florida 256
Arizona 56 California 236
Arkansas 33 Georgia 98
California 236 Ohio 87
Colorado 36 Illinois 86
Connecticut 30 North Carolina 86
Delaware 9 Pennsylvania 84
DC 2 South Carolina 75
Florida 256 Tennessee 74
Georgia 98 Kentucky 71
Hawaii 7 Virginia 69
Idaho 14 Alabama 61
Illinois 86 Michigan 61
Indiana 60 New York 61
Iowa 14 Indiana 60
Kansas 23 New Jersey 59
Kentucky 71 Missouri 57
Louisiana 52 Arizona 56
Maine 16 Mississippi 56
Maryland 49 Louisiana 52
Massachusetts 32 Oklahoma 52
Michigan 61 Maryland 49
Minnesota 27 Colorado 36
Mississippi 56 Arkansas 33
Missouri 57 Oregon 33
Montana 13 Wisconsin 33
Nebraska 11 Massachusetts 32
Nevada 25 Washington 32
New Hampshire 6 Connecticut 30
New Jersey 59 Minnesota 27
New Mexico 27 New Mexico 27
New York 61 Nevada 25
North Carolina 86 Kansas 23
North Dakota 16 Maine 16
Ohio 87 North Dakota 16
Oklahoma 52 Idaho 14
Oregon 33 Iowa 14
Pennsylvania 84 West Virginia 14
Rhode Island 6 Montana 13
South Carolina 75 Nebraska 11
South Dakota 10 South Dakota 10
Tennessee 74 Utah 10
Texas 283 Delaware 9
Utah 10 Hawaii 7
Vermont 4 Alaska 6
Virginia 69 New Hampshire 6
Washington 32 Rhode Island 6
West Virginia 14 Vermont 4
Wisconsin 33 Wyoming 3
Wyoming 3 DC 2
Total 2,621 Total 2,621
Sam Schwartz is a multi-modal transportation planning and engineering firm that has collaborated with
States and cities for over 20 years on a wide array of complex issues and strategies. On the national level,
Sam Schwartz has led numerous behavioral safety research investigations on critical traffic safety issues,
and serves as subject matter experts for numerous projects of national significance. At the State and local
levels, Sam Schwartz has turned that research into practical application, playing a key role in supporting
traffic safety and Vison Zero programs from coast to coast.