Most Dangerous Time of the Year to Drive

While most drivers think winter is the most dangerous time to drive a car, the real answer is summer and the Fourth of July weekend. According to information from the University of Minnesota's Center for Excellence in Rural Safety, the summer months have the most fatalities.

Lee Munnich says his theory is "A lot of this may be the fact that people tend to drive more carefully in the winter months when they know the snow is making it more dangerous, or may not go out as much. Whereas in the summer months they probably feel safer."

His study of Minnesota driving habits also points out another surprising statistic: rural areas may be less safe for driving than cities. He says 23 percent of Minnesota's population is rural but 57 percent of traffic fatalities occur there.

He also believes more people in rural areas may tend to drive fast after drinking and less likely to wear seat belts.

I wonder if his premise holds true in Southern California where the extent of traffic never ceases to amaze me. Holiday days and weekends may have traffic on the freeways that are heavier than during rush hour. This can be especially true of beach traffic for the Fourth of July. I've seen these traffic patterns at other times of the year, too.

We stayed at a condo in San Juan Capistrano during Thanksgiving week several years ago. On Thanksgiving Day, we drove back home to Pasadena and dinner with relatives. The traffic on the 5 freeway south was absolutely bumper-to-bumper at 11 o'clock in the morning.

One of the most important ways to remain safe while driving on the Fourth of July or other holiday weekends around Southern California is to remain calm and do not be in a hurry.

If you're traveling to the beach on the Fourth of July or any weekend in the summer: give yourself plenty of time and map out locations ahead of time for parking. Plan to walk several blocks to avoid the crowds in parking lots. Another idea is to stay home or in a local neighborhood during peak weekends and then take a vacation day or personal day from work to drive to the beach - sometimes the crowds themselves can be the attraction. If that's the case, have fun but expect traffic delays.

Click here to read more on the study from the University of Minnesota.