Understanding February Car Accident Trends & Statistics
Navigating Winter Road Conditions Safely
February Records the Fewest Fatal Accidents
Consistently, over the last couple of years, fewer motor vehicle accidents have occurred during February. While it may be obvious to some to automatically equate this with the month being shorter, it actually follows a declining trend going from November to March. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data center has been tracking this trend for years and also reports that the first two months of the year record the least amount of fatal accidents overall.
Explaining the Trend
Following holidays that are notorious for drunk and reckless driving and before the summer season when more cars are on the road, February accounts for only 7% of fatal accidents that occur during the year. But this isn’t just a trend in the United States - regions all over the world have noted this as well. So what keeps the fatal accidents down?
Since 2020 was an anomaly of a year with a significant decrease in the number of people on the roads in comparison to years prior, examining 2019 driving trends can give a clearer picture.
What 2019 Data Shows
The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration monitors monthly traffic in each region of the country using over 5000 traffic counting locations nationwide. For 2019 alone, they recorded over 225.5 billion miles in the month of February, which was several billion miles less than the month with the second lowest number. While we can acknowledge the fact that there are less days in this month compared to others, the one to three day difference (depending on the year) barely budges the total.
Simply put, people are just not on the roads as much during February. Since this tends to be when Northern and Midwestern states may experience volatile winter storms, it makes sense why one would not want to be travelling via car. Likewise, more long distance trips are taken during the fall around the holidays, which can account for a good portion of the data for the later months.
Car Accident? Call Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys
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NHTSA Data on February Motor Vehicle Accidents
Consistent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals a fascinating trend: February consistently records the lowest number of fatal motor vehicle accidents each year. This pattern holds true even when accounting for the month's shorter length, with studies from 2024 showing a significant drop in vehicle miles traveled during this period. The decline is part of a broader trend that begins after the holiday season and continues through early spring. Understanding these February car accident statistics is crucial for both drivers and policymakers. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon, including reduced overall travel and heightened driver awareness due to potentially hazardous winter road conditions. This data provides valuable insights into how travel behavior and external conditions directly impact road safety.
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