People in West Virginia may have been more at risk from being on the road on Aug. 2 than any other day of the year. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, between 2012 and 2016, more than 500 people died in car accidents on this day.

Experts say the day is more dangerous than any other for some of the same reasons that all of August is a deadly month for motor vehicle accidents. One IIHS research scientist says that the good weather brings more vehicles on the road and tends to make people careless. Bad weather tends to make people more alert and cautious. During the month of August, more than 15,000 people died on the road between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, according to Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, there were a total of 60,976 accidents in August. No other month in the previous four years had this many. Other deadly days include May 3, July 4, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

A vice president at Nationwide agreed that the number of cars on the road is a factor. That insurer also has a voluntary program called SmartRide that tracks driver behavior and has identified several actions that make an accident likely. Hard braking and fast acceleration are among the indicators.

Although the use of safety technology is growing, there continue to be many motor vehicle accidents. Even if an accident is not fatal, it could lead to serious injuries and leave a person with a long recovery time or a permanent disability. The motorist who caused the accident through negligent driving may be liable for expenses associated with the injury. These are generally paid by the insurance company, but if the driver is uninsured or the insurance company does not offer enough money, the injured person might want to file a lawsuit.