The deadliest days of the year for traffic related accidents are those surrounding the 4th of July holiday. Every year there is a dramatic spike in pedestrian related deaths and injuries during that time.
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ONTARIO, CA — The deadliest days of the year for traffic related accidents are those surrounding the 4th of July holiday. Every year there is a dramatic spike in pedestrian related deaths and injuries during that time. According to AutoInsurance.Org, Independence Day averages 450 fatal crashes per year. On average 17 pedestrians are killed every day, with 74% of fatal incidents happening at night according to the Pedestrian Safety Institute. In response MAGLITE® and First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF) are joining together to promote traffic and pedestrian safety.
Pedestrian fatalities spiked in 2021 even though there was less traffic on the roads due to the pandemic. According to PEW, “Pedestrian fatalities grew in 27 states in the first half of 2020.” Also the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that overall, “the pedestrian death rate rose 20% during that period. Nearly 3,000 pedestrians were killed, even though there was a 16.5% decrease in traffic.”
Darkness and low-visibility play a significant role in pedestrian deaths. In fact, more than 70 percent of fatalities happen at night or at dusk or dawn hours. MAGLITE® and First Responders Children’s Foundation are on a mission to illuminate the deadliest days and to the dangers of driving in low-visibility conditions to reduce deaths and injuries.
The Centers for Disease Control offer these tips to be safer as a pedestrian at night:
• Carry a flashlight when walking and wear reflective clothing
• Cross streets at designated crosswalks or intersections
“Carrying a powerful light source like one of our Maglite Traffic Safety products will decrease the chance you are struck by a car and injured or killed this coming weekend and the rest of the year,” said Anthony Maglica, Founder and Owner of Mag Instrument Inc. “I wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day!”
More information about First Responders Children’s Foundation is available at www.1stRCF.org.
