Study Finds Week Of Tax Day More Dangerous For Drivers

April 11, 2012

According to an article released by CNN News, a new study conducted by doctors at the University of Toronto and published in the most recent copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the number of serious car accidents increases by as much as 6 percent on Tax Day.

The study examined 6,783 individuals who lost their lives in car accidents over a 30-year time period during specific dates. Researchers selected only those accidents that occurred during the week before, of, or after Tax Day for the study. They found that during the week of Tax Day, the nation saw an average jump of around 13 fatal traffic accidents over the prior and following week.

Authors of the study, Dr. Donald Redelmeier and Christopher Yarnell, attributed the spike in the number of serious crashes to a combination of factors including:

• greater alcohol consumption,
• sleep deprivation,
• distraction of tax preparation,
• and stress.

Dr. Redelmeier added, “Even if you file early, it does not mean that you are immune to the phenomenon, because of the shared nature of most roadway crashes. You are surrounded by other drivers, any one of whom could change your life forever.”

The Car Accident Lawyers with the William Mattar Law Offices would like to remind motorists in New York to focus on the road at all times and to drive defensively in the weeks to come.