3rd and 4th of July Prove to be Lethal for Virginia Drivers

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 1 -- More than 300 Americans are likely to lose their lives this 4th of July holiday weekend primarily from drinking and driving and because they failed to wear their safety belts. Virginians, regrettably, could well become a portion of those fatalities. The highway death toll may reach eight fatalities in Virginia over the coming weekend.*

"What an enormous loss for our society as a whole, for our communities and for all of those families," says Joe Thomas, vice president for GEICO in Virginia Beach. "We hope by working with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety we can alert drivers to these alarming facts and make them aware of the extra precautions they need to take, particularly during the 4th of July weekend. More crash deaths occur on this holiday than any other time of the year."

Don't drink and drive

Thomas believes that the most important thing citizens can do is not drink and drive. "It is documented that at least 40 percent of all the fatalities on the 4th of July are related to high blood alcohol concentrations."

Limit driving during peak crash hours

Also, limit the time you spend on the road during the 4th of July holiday weekend altogether. With more drivers on the road during this holiday and more drivers likely to be intoxicated, one strategy is to spend less time traveling. Try to reduce travel this holiday weekend during mid-afternoon to early morning hours, peak crash fatality times of the day.

Wear safety belts

And make sure everyone in the car is wearing safety belts. According to Thomas, "Virginia residents already take safety belt usage seriously, with statewide usage at 74.6 percent. We can prove that safety belts save lives, and we urge everyone to buckle up every time they ride in a motor vehicle. We want to improve that number."

"GEICO," he added, "supports Drive Smart Virginia, an organization that attempts to improve traffic safety through education, policy, and enforcement. In May, we supported their Click It or Ticket campaign by writing letters to local newspapers on the importance of safety belt use. We hope people will remember to drive safe and buckle up this July 4th weekend as well."

Thomas also noted that GEICO provides an excellent benefit to its associates -- a free taxi ride to associates, or their family members or friends, who may have had too much to drink. Associates pay the fare upfront, receive a receipt and fill out a confidential reimbursement form. The cost of the taxi ride is promptly repaid to the associate.

"I think the program is working because we take great steps to operate in strict confidentiality for anyone who participates in it." He urges other companies to "look into similar programs before another 4th of July holiday goes by."

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fifth largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 5.6 million policyholders and insures more than 9.5 million vehicles. GEICO uses television, radio, print media and direct mail to attract customers to call its 1-800-841-3000 number and to its http://www.geico.com/ Web site, and keeps its rates low by dealing directly with the customer. GEICO offers sales and claim services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com/.

*Information is compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety which analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.