According to statistics website city-data.com, Dallas has averaged well over 100 fatal car accidents a year over the last ten years. Of course, the very nature of an accident is that it is unexpected and unintentional; car crashes typically result from some small mistake, a momentary lapse in judgment.
Yet, while the occurrence of car accidents may seem random and difficult to predict, sometimes patterns can be identified that increase the risk of suffering injury or death in an automobile accident. According to once recent study, one of America’s favorite pastimes might be correlated to an increased risk of traffic deaths in the Dallas area.
Research limited, but still shows startlingly high jump in game day fatalities
Tailgating is a longstanding tradition among NFL fans. Before every game, thousands of fans hop in the family vehicle and head to the stadium, many bringing along coolers well stocked with ice cold beverages.
NFL games can certainly be a great time, and professional football is a strong part of Texas culture. Yet, the confluence of several key factors can mean a more dangerous day on the road for fans and anyone else who takes to the road on an NFL game day in Dallas.
A recent story in The Atlantic Cities examined research performed by John Nelson of business intelligence company IDV Solutions. In the study, Nelson pulled traffic data from ten NFL seasons and compared the number of traffic fatalities for given cities on days with home games versus days with away games. In Dallas, the results were both surprising and alarming.
On home game days, Dallas saw 72.3 percent more fatal car accidents compared to away game days over the time period studied.
Nelson was careful to warn that the study was very limited, looking only at the differences in traffic fatalities between home and away game days. Rather than meaning that home game days were especially dangerous in Dallas, he cautioned, it could be that Dallas residents are just particularly safe on away game days.
While causation was not examined, there could be a few logical explanations for the uptick in roadway deaths on home game days in Dallas. For one thing, there would likely be more cars on the road as thousands of fans travel to the stadium. Additionally, given the popularity of tailgating and indulging in alcoholic beverages at NFL games, drunk driving accidents could increase in Dallas in the wake of a home game.
If you have lost a loved one, talk to a Dallas car accident attorney
The study does not mean that you should shutter yourself indoors during any NFL home game in Dallas. But it does highlight the real problem of traffic fatalities in the Dallas area.
If you have lost a loved one in a traffic accident, you may be entitled to compensation. No amount of money can ever truly compensate you for your loss, but a wrongful death judgment against those responsible for causing the death can help you with the economic burdens of losing a family member and allow you to begin the healing process. Talk to a Dallas car accident attorney to learn more about compensation for wrongful death if you have lost someone close to you in a fatal crash.
