Death & Taxes: Car Accidents Increase 6% on April 15th – Tax Day
April 11th, 2012 tmccoy
April 15 is already one of the most dreaded days of the year, but a new study reveals a whole new reason why Tax Day should be viewed with extreme caution. A nonprofit highway safety group recently revealed that motor vehicle accidents are 6% more likely to occur on April 15 than on other April days, and that this increase is likely the result of that day often being the deadline with which individuals can file their taxes.
Some theories as to why this is include the fact that people are far more stressed out on April 15 than other days and that drivers take routes that they are unfamiliar with so they can file their taxes. The oddest aspect of the recent study is that it was conducted over 30 years from 1980 to 2009, but electronic filing has been an option since 1986, and last year almost ¾ of taxpayers filed their returns online.
Nonetheless, drivers and pedestrians alike should be extra careful when April 15 rolls around this year, and not just with their tax returns.
