Fatal car crashes across the United States see a notable increase on the day following the deadliest mass shootings, according to new research. The study, authored by Vishal R. Patel, Christopher M. Worsham, and Anupam B. Jena, found that on average, traffic deaths rose by 14.3% nationwide after such events.
This increase equates to approximately 20 additional deaths per day nationally, a figure that is about 75% of the number of people killed in the shootings themselves. The research team conducted 10,000 simulations using random dates to verify their findings. The observed spike in traffic fatalities occurred in only one of these simulations, indicating a low probability of the correlation being coincidental.
The pattern persisted across various driver demographics, geographic regions, and weather conditions. The study also noted the increase held true even in states distant from the shooting locations, suggesting that localized factors like road closures or emergency response traffic management are not the primary drivers of this phenomenon.
Furthermore, the research observed no similar rise in traffic fatalities following active-shooter incidents that resulted in no deaths, even if they garnered significant public attention. This distinction suggests that the extreme lethality of an event may be a critical factor in the observed increase in traffic deaths.