‘Deadliest’ weeks on the road between Thanksgiving and New Year’s

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We are in the midst of what traffic safety experts call the deadliest three weeks on the roads. Just this morning, a man died in a hit-and-run on Lone Star Road in Arlington.

According to the National Road Safety Foundation, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is one of the most dangerous on U.S. roads and highways, with more crashes resulting in serious injuries or deaths.

The group attributes this to three main factors: alcohol, drugs, and fatigue.

It cautions that if you can’t remember the last few miles you’ve driven, and your mind is drifting, your car could, too. So, you need to pull over. You can take a 20-minute nap, or if you need some coffee, give it 30 minutes to kick in. The group even has an online assessment where you can score how sleepy you’re feeling, and scoring more than 10 on the scale means you’re putting yourself at risk.

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The latest deadly crash in Jacksonville happened at 2:40 a.m. on Monday. A driver hit and killed a 26-year-old man from Jacksonville on Lone Star Road in Arlington.

The driver fled the scene and JSO is piecing together evidence to find that person.

“Woke up to sirens and blue lights,” said a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified. “I’m actually not surprised that something like that happened.”

She told Action News Jax she is used to seeing reckless drivers in this area.

“I am constantly woken up to speeding cars and loud music.”

This was the 199th traffic death, and 49th pedestrian death in Duval County this year. Last year, the county had 50 pedestrian deaths and 205 total traffic deaths, a 25% spike over 2019′s total.

“I’ve seen bad car crashes where the cars have flipped, with their tires right-side up,” said Doris Cozzani. She told Action News Jax other drivers make her nervous.

“They drift out of their lane, or they’re going really slow in the left lane, or they don’t let you pass,” she pointed out. “And honestly, it’s scary driving with people like that on the road.” This holiday season, she just asks one thing of people behind the wheel: “You need to look out for those around you.”

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