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More car accidents on Election Day than any other day in the US

By Ben Glass

Researchers say that who to vote for shouldn’t be your only concern on Election Day on November 4.

According to a new study, there is an 18 percent higher likelihood of vehicular accidents and fatalities on presidential election days in the United States than any other day.

The study, which was published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was co-authored by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada and California’s Stanford University.

The researchers analyzed national data from 1976, when Jimmy Carter was elected, to 2004, when George W. Bush was elected to his second term. The analysis showed that during polling hours across the U.S., there was an 18 percent increase in vehicle crashes and related fatalities.

The study surmised that approximately 24 more people died from the personal injuries they sustained in crashes on election days than other days researched by examiners, exceeding even Super Bowl Sundays.

One theory put forth by the study is that voters may be taking unfamiliar routes to polling places while rushing to arrive before the polls close.

According to Loudon County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Kraig Troxell, law enforcement regularly monitors polling areas on election days, but there is generally no call for other increased presence. Fairfax County Police Officer Don Gotthardt also said no extra measures are put in place in Fairfax County. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reported that there was only one traffic fatality in the state during the last two presidential elections. That crash took place on Nov. 2, 2004.

The study urges that on Election Day, voters use their seatbelts and minimize distractions.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ben Glass

Full post as published by Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer on November 03, 2008 (boomark / email).