The Biggest Danger on July 4th? It’s Not What You Think
Independence Day is the number 1 or number 2 holiday for driving fatalities, usually involving drinking or drugs. An estimated 620 people nationwide may die this year. In contrast, from 2005-2020 there were an average of 8.5 deaths per year nationwide from fireworks-related injuries. Most injuries are from common fireworks such as sparklers.
Neighborhood conversations will often reflect worries over fireworks, not drunk driving over the holiday, if not for personal safety then for concerns over fire.
West Metro Fire only had three calls involving “fireworks” codes in 2020. However, there may be other calls in a non-searchable field. A housefire will be called a housefire, not a fireworks fire. Callers may believe a firework started a fire but investigators ultimately find no evidence. This was the case for one fire in Lakewood, started in a shed that spread to the house.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, local fire departments responded to 1,353,500 fires in 2021. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports fireworks caused approximately 12,000 fires in 2021. That’s about 1% of the reported fires in 2021.
Noisy fireworks are an extreme nuisance to pets and anti-noise advocates but are not statistically not the most dangerous activity in any category.
In 2020, the City of Lakewood received 1666 call for services related to fireworks. Only 68 of those were agent initiated. Only 3 of those 68 resulted in a summons, due to the difficulty in tracking down a noise source after it’s over.
Lakewood Municipal Court numbers from 2019-2020 indicate that 90% of violators plead guilty and paid in full, an unusually high rate that leaves no reason to seek alternative forms of sentencing.
The number of fatalities and injuries over July 4th has caused Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Department of Transportation and others to increase enforcement activities. This year, they are even offering discounts for Uber rides.
Time and money for enforcement are prioritized, generally based on safety factors. Public pressure may shift priorities to a statistically less-hazardous focus, i.e. fireworks, rather than the more deadly risk of drunk driving over the holiday.
The calculated risk posed by fireworks has been acceptable and memorable way for people to enjoy a political and military victory over the past 200 years.
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” – – William Faulkner
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