Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Study warns voters to drive safely on Election Day
Researchers say voting for a new president isn't the only thing U.S. voters should be concerned about on Election Day.
A new study shows that vehicle accidents and fatalities are 18 percent more likely to occur on presidential election days in the United States than on any other day.
The study, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was co-authored by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada and California's Stanford University.
National data analyzed from presidential elections from Jimmy Carter in 1976 to George W. Bush in 2004 showed an 18 percent increase in nationwide motor vehicle crashes and related fatalities on those days during polling hours.
About 24 more people died from accidents on presidential election days than on other days researchers examined, the study surmised.
"The increased risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes on presidential election days exceeds the risk on Super Bowl Sundays," it stated.
According to the study, one theory is that voters may be taking unfamiliar routes to polling places and rushing to get there before polls close.
Kraig Troxell, spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department, said polling areas are regularly monitored by law enforcement on election days but that no other increased law enforcement presence is generally called for on the roads and highways in Loudoun County.
Officer Don Gotthardt, a spokesman for Fairfax County Police, also said no extra measures are put in place for election days in Fairfax County. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, statewide, only one traffic fatality was recorded during the last two presidential election days. That fatality occurred on Nov. 2, 2004.
The nationwide study urges voters to use seat belts and minimize distractions – such as thinking about candidates and issues – on their way to vote on Nov. 4.
You must be logged in to post a comment.