The Fourth of July is the most dangerous American holiday weekend of the year. Injuries sustained from car crashes, swimming incidents, and fireworks accidents together account for hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year surrounding the Independence Day celebration.
The long summer weekend puts a lot of drivers on the road, which increases the likelihood of accidents. Add alcohol to the mix, and the risk of injury or death jumps. The Department of Transportation and the National Traffic Safety Administration urge drivers and passengers to buckle up, slow down and abstain from drinking alcohol when traveling over the upcoming weekend.
Another concern over the July 4th holiday are amateur fireworks displays. The most common injuries are to hands and fingers, but injuries to heads, faces, eyes and ears are also a significant risk. Your best bet is to head over to one of the handful of professionally run fireworks displays happening in various locations across Iowa.
Swimming incidents loom large around a holiday where people try to cram maximum fun into a three day weekend. Emergency rooms across the country see an increase in swimming mishaps as well as injuries sustained form bicycle crashes and sporting injures.
