Study Shows 18 Percent Higher Risk Of Fatal Crashes On Election Days

According to researchers, voting for a new president is not the only concern for U.S. voters on Election Day.

According to a new study, there is an 18 percent higher likelihood of people sustaining fatal personal injuries in vehicle accidents on presidential election days in the United States than on any other day of the year. The risk is higher than even Super Bowl Sunday.

Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada and Stanford University in California co-authored the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in October.

The researchers took national data from presidential elections dating from 1976, when Jimmy Carter was elected president, until 2004, when George W. Bush was elected president. The data showed that during polling hours on those days, there was an 18 percent increase across the nation in motor vehicle crashes and related fatalities. The study surmised that approximately 24 more people died on election days than any other day.

One theory posed by the study is that voters may have been following routes they were not familiar with to reach polling places and rushing to get there in order to vote before the polls closed.

The study urges voters to ensure that they use seat belts and limit distractions, like making last-minute considerations of candidates and issues.