High gas prices won't keep many in the U.S. at home this Memorial Day weekend, with AAA predicting as many as 45 million people will travel 50 miles or more between May 21 and 25. Around 39.1 million of those are expected to travel by car, and this increase in traffic brings increased risk.

According to the NHTSA, traffic fatalities are 16.2% higher on Memorial Day than on a typical Monday in May and June, with fatal crashes involving risky driving behavior like speeding increasing 29.5%.

A recent analysis of Memorial Day weekend distracted driving and speeding statistics from 2023 to 2025 by Cambridge Mobile Telematics and AAA dissected hour-by-hour data from the holiday to determine what is driving the increase in driver behavior-related fatalities. For purposes of their analysis, they defined 'distraction' as phone screen tapping while driving over 9 mph and 'speeding' as driving at least 9.3 mph over the speed limit for at least 300 feet.

They found that when looking at the holiday weekend as a whole, speeding activity builds on Friday and Saturday before peaking on Memorial Day. However, distracted driving activity remains relatively steady all weekend.

The number of seconds drivers spent interacting with phone screens increased by 7.3% on Memorial Day compared to similar Mondays. This behavior spiked in the morning between 6 and 8 a.m., at 8.3% above average, and peaked between 4 and 5 p.m., at 12.2% above average.

Speeding behaviors jumped even more steeply than distracted driving on Memorial Day — up 29% from similar Mondays. There was a late-morning spike in speeding between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. (46% above average). However, the most speeding activity took place in the afternoon as drivers clocked 72% more time speeding than normal.

In response to the uptick in dangerous driving behavior and roadway fatalities that accompany the arrival of summer, AAA has launched its "100 Days of Safe Driving" campaign, which will run from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

"The '100 Days of Safe Driving' campaign is about encouraging drivers to make simple choices behind the wheel that can help save lives," Gene Boehm, president and CEO of AAA, said in a release. "By staying focused, slowing down, buckling up, and planning ahead for a sober ride, every driver can help make our roads safer this summer."

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