New Study Reveals America’s Most Dangerous Holiday Weekends to Drive

Photo by Ренат Гагарин

Labor Day weekend is the most dangerous for anyone on the road, with over 280 people dying in fatal accidents, according to an October 2026 holiday traffic report. A new study by Whitley Law Firm analyzed the biggest weekend celebrations in the country, comparing them by fatal accident count, drunk driving prevalence, and the share of speeding-related crashes.

Labor Day weekend is the most dangerous celebration in the country, and people driving on Mississippi roads are at the highest risk.
The U.S. South is hit the hardest by dangerous driving during holidays, with Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana among the high-risk regions.
Memorial Day stands out not only with widespread drunk driving (39% of all fatal accidents), but also with the most speeding-related deadly crashes.

The study ranked 20 US holidays by how much deadlier the traffic gets across the country. For every weekend, the report took into account the average number of people dying in car accidents per day, the share of deaths involving a drunk driver, and the share of deaths in speeding-related accidents. The holiday danger score reflects the increased levels of danger (with normal days given a score of 100).

Here is how the most dangerous holiday weekends for driving compare:

Holiday	Holiday Danger Score (Normal Days = 100)	People Killed per Day During the Holidays	Share of Deaths Involving a Drunk Driver (%)	Share of Deaths in Speeding-Related Crashes (%)	Deadliest State per Resident
Labor Day	111	141.1	37	31.7	Mississippi
4th of July	110.9	136.9	39	30.4	Montana
Cinco de Mayo	106.2	111.7	34	27.9	Mississippi
Memorial Day	106.1	135	39	32.1	Louisiana
New Year’s Day	105.6	112	38	31.6	Mississippi
St. Patrick’s Day	106.7	107.8	35	27.2	South Carolina
Juneteenth	104.3	132.2	37	30.2	Montana
Halloween	104	124.1	31	23.9	Mississippi
April Fools’ Day	103.5	107	32	25	Arkansas
Easter Sunday	103.1	120	39	31.1	Louisiana

You can access the full report findings by following this link.

1. Labor Day

People killed during the holidays: 141.1 per day
Share of deaths involving a drunk driver: 37%
Share of deaths in speeding-related crashes: 31.7%
Holiday danger score: 111 (with 100 = normal day average)
Deadliest state: Mississippi

The Labor Day weekend is the most dangerous holiday celebration in the US, with over 140 people dying in car accidents per day. Over a third of these fatalities happen due to drunk driving (37%), and 31.7% of deadly crashes are also connected to breaking the speed limits. The deadliest statistics during this holiday are recorded in Mississippi, but the state actually ranks as a high-risk region for 4 of the 10 most dangerous holidays.

2. Independence Day

Independence Day follows closely, with 137 people dying for every day of the celebration. The holiday has one of the highest drunk driving counts in the top 10, with 39% of fatal accidents happening because of inebriation. Speeding is also very common, contributing to over 30% of lethal outcomes.

3. Cinco de Mayo

In third place is Cinco de Mayo, during which Mississippi once again ranks as the state with the most dangerous roads. Over 111 people are dying in road accidents around the country each day of the Cinco de Mayo celebration, 5% more than would get into fatal accidents normally. Just over a third of deadly crashes (34%) are caused by drunk driving.

4. Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend takes fourth place, with 135 people becoming victims of a fatal car crash per day. Memorial Day matches the 4th of July for DUI prevalence, with 39% of all road fatalities caused by alcohol. Speeding influences the outcome of 32.1% of car crashes with a death toll, contributing to almost a third of all cases. Louisiana is the riskiest state to drive during this holiday, with other southern states following closely behind.

5. New Year’s Day

The weekend for a New Year celebration is the fifth most dangerous for driving in the US, as 112 road fatalities occur in the country per day. Around 31.6% of deadly wrecks happen because of driving faster than roads allow, and 38% involve drunk drivers. Mississippi is again the state with the greatest danger, making it crucial to stay away from the roads during long celebrations.

Robert E. Whitley from Whitley Law commented on the findings:

“Total Us traffic fatalities fell by 4.3%, the most meaningful single-year reduction in over a decade. Holiday weekend fatalities haven’t followed the same trajectory, and the gap between everyday road safety improvement and holiday-specific danger has actually widened. The enforcement tools that reduce weekday crash rates, including speed cameras, red-light cameras, and consistent patrol presence, largely disappear during long weekends when municipalities are operating on reduced schedules.”