Houston accident lawyers note a recent research study that has concluded that the rate of fatal traffic accidents in the United States spikes about 6% on tax day. But the study does not necessarily prove that it’s the stress of getting one’s tax return in the mail on time that causes the fatal accident spike.
The cause could be increased driver distraction or an increased number of cars on the road. And since more and more people are e-filing each year, with fewer people waiting to rush to the post office at the last minute to mail a hardcopy tax return, the cause for the spike could indeed be other factors.
Our Houston accident lawyers point out that the study results found an average of 226 fatal traffic accidents on the day U.S. tax returns are
due, compared to 213 fatal wrecks on other days. But the study also indicate that victims under 18 years of age have the largest risk for fatal crashes on this tax day, which would tend to indicate that the stress of getting the tax return in the mail is not, in fact, the main driver behind increased fatality numbers.
Various studies over the years have shown that certain days consistently experience higher numbers of fatal traffic accidents. New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July, big sports game days, and peak travel days during the winter holidays regularly raise the risk of a fatal crash for those on the road.
As with most fatal accidents, almost all the accidents examined in the research study could have been avoided with a slight modification of driver behavior: perhaps a little more attention to the road, slowing more on a curve or a turn, or stopping at a light or a stop sign rather than trying to beat other traffic. So while the actual cause of the spike in fatal accidents on Tax Day remains a matter for debate, our Houston accident lawyers emphasize that the important lessons to take away are: