auto dealer in black and red logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Take Your Rabbit’s Foot on the Road Fridays

Report finds it’s the most dangerous traffic day of the week in most states.

July 25, 2025
Take Your Rabbit’s Foot on the Road Fridays

Though Fridays are more crash-prone for most states, Saturdays log the most traffic fatalities, according to statistics.

Credit:

Pexels/Aleksejs Bergmanis

2 min to read


 

Maybe there’s something to the Friday the 13th superstition. That day of the week indeed appears to be unlucky, at least on the road.

In Carfax’s annual crash and damage report, it found Fridays outweigh all other days of the week for road danger in most U.S. states.

Just six states had higher crash rates on other days of the week. It’s Wednesday in Montana, and Tuesday in Colorado, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Utah and Vermont. Carfax said it wasn’t able to compile enough data to determine Hawaii and Illinois’ worst road days.

Fridays sealed their dubious distinction with an average share of the week’s crashes of about 17% in the 43 states with the highest crash rates on that day, Carfax found. Eighteen percent of Mississippi’s crashes occurred on Fridays.

That compares to the 10% share of crashes in the 47 states where Sunday is the least accident-prone.

The vehicle data provider arrived at the days-of-the-week breakdown by crunching 2024 numbers from 165,000 sources ranging from state motor vehicles departments to local auto repair shops, said spokesperson Em Nguyen.

“Law enforcement responds to thousands of crashes on Fridays, often due to heavy traffic, fatigue, and distracted or impaired driving,” said John Fisher, chief of Bedford, Massachusetts’ police department in Carfax’s press release on the crash report.

Despite Friday’s road dangers, though, more traffic deaths actually happen on Saturdays, Fisher said, citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

LEARN MORE: Motorcycle Air Bag Tested

More Industry

orange background behind a line of people with a crashed car in the middle
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•October 16, 2026

Automaker Advances Safety for All

A new report by Volvo Cars Safety Centre analyzed the impact of 50 years' worth of research in automotive safety development

Read More →
The outside of a Jack Kain car dealership
Industry•by Hannah Mitchell•October 9, 2026

Kentucky Store Leaves Family

An auto group stretched across three states picked up the Lexington-area Ford fixture as its second store for the brand in the state.

Read More →
Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 10/09/2026, with Lauren Lawrence
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•October 9, 2026

U.S. Auto Brands Falling Behind

Asian auto brands are outpacing U.S. brands in stateside new-vehicle sales. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief with Lauren!

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 10/02/2026, with Lauren Lawrence
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•October 2, 2026

U.S. EV Market Update | Dealer Debrief

The U.S. electric vehicle market is slowly recovering from the loss of the federal EV tax credit last fall. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief!

Read More →
Q3 Financing Climbs, red arrow pointing down, percentage symbol, green arrow pointing up, Auto Dealer Today
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•October 2, 2026

Auto Finance Numbers Set Records

Third-quarter data show how consumers are adapting to ongoing affordability challenges facing the new- and-used-vehicle markets.

Read More →
Cake with '50' candles on top
Industry•October 1, 2026

Auto Dealerships Can’t Afford to Ignore the 50+ Consumer

Younger generations may be all the buzz today when it comes to product marketing targets, but their older cohorts command a sizable share of purchasing power.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Gray Toyota SUV parked outside of glass paned building
Industry•by Hannah Mitchell•September 25, 2026

Savings Seekers Boost U.S. Automakers’ Rivals

As consumers here look for ways to curb inflation’s affect on their budgets, brands offering plenty of alternative powertrains are closing in on home-grown OEMs.

Read More →
Various graphs and sheets of infographics laid out with handwritten post it notes.
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•September 25, 2026

The Slow Electric Ascent

Second-quarter data show that the electric-vehicle market in the U.S. is inching up, the majority of states seeing a month-over-month increase.

Read More →
Auto Dealer Today, Dealer Debrief, 09/23/2026, with Lauren Lawrence
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•September 23, 2026

Safer Rides & Cyberattacks

Vehicle crash testing is getting a virtual boost, but auto dealerships are facing increased cyberattacks. Learn more in this week's Dealer Debrief!

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Dealer Debrief, Auto Dealer Today, with Lauren Lawrence, 09/18/2026
Industry•by Lauren Lawrence•September 18, 2026

Affordability Angst | Dealer Debrief

August saw little relief for car buyers, whether they were shopping new or used. Take a look at the month's breakdown in this week's Dealer Debrief!

Read More →