What sports and driving after the game has to do with fatal car accidents may surprise many people across the country. Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina have found that after a close major sports games, fans of the winning team had a significant increase in fatal traffic accidents.
What causes spike in fatal accidents?
Previous studies showed that fatal accidents increased after the Super Bowl, which led experts to try and determine if the closeness of the game had an effect. They originally thought that a blowout may lead to more drunk driving and more accidents, but that was not the case.
Close games may be the culprit
Researchers discovered that the rate of fatalities actually increased 21 percent after close games. If the game was considered a “nail-biter” the rate of fatal incidents rose 133 percent. These accidents were also not closely related to drivers being upset that their team lost, as the increase was only found in places where the home team had won.
“During a close game, testosterone increases for the fans as well as the players – that has been established by previous studies,” said Dr. Stacy Wood, Langdon Distinguished Professor of Marketing at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research. “After the game, testosterone levels drop for the losing side, but spike for the winning side. Because testosterone is linked to aggressive behavior and potentially aggressive driving, we hypothesize that this may play a role in the increased number of traffic fatalities in areas with a high proportion of winning fans.”
Where did the information come from?
The researchers studied more than 270 football and basketball games over an eight-year period, including championship, tournament and rivalry games. They studied both professional and college teams. A panel of experts was used to determine the rate of intensity of each game and those results were then cross-checked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s accident reports.
How to stay safely
People without comprehensive coverage or collision insurance as part of their auto insurance plan may want to avoid these volatile situations. Car insurance safety not only involves being a safe driver, but it can also mean avoiding potentially dangerous situations altogether.