U.S. travelers fill airports and highways during spring break weeks. TSA screens more than 3 million passengers on peak days while speeding contributes to 10,111 traffic deaths. Hotel average daily rates reach 236 dollars in April amid these patterns.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, 34% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 involved speeding (NHTSA).
- In the United States, 29% of traffic fatalities in 2022 involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA).
- In 2022, 8,147 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States (NHTSA).
- Spring break travel demand is reflected in airline bookings and TSA checkpoint volumes; TSA reported 10.4 million passengers screened on its busiest day in early 2022 around spring travel peaks (varies by year).
- TSA’s daily passenger screening metrics show multi-million throughput during spring peak travel weeks; for example, TSA reported 2.4+ million passengers screened on a spring 2022 weekday peak.
- TSA’s passenger throughput data allow quantifying spring travel weeks by total daily screenings; TSA shows 3.0+ million passengers screened on multiple spring 2023 peak days.
- 2024: ADR (Average Daily Rate) for U.S. hotels was $229.62 in March 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).
- 2024: ADR (Average Daily Rate) for U.S. hotels was $236.10 in April 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).
- 2024: RevPAR for U.S. hotels was $165.70 in May 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).
- In the U.S., the National School Lunch Program documents show the typical academic calendar includes spring break weeks; many schools follow federal guidance and district calendars (calendar structure context).
- In the U.S., undergraduate enrollment was 14.6 million in fall 2023 (NCES), a proxy for the potential spring break student population.
- In the U.S., graduate enrollment was 8.1 million in fall 2023 (NCES), relevant for student travel during spring breaks by cohort.
Spring break is peak travel season, but traffic risks like speeding and alcohol impairment persist nationwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Safety & Risk18 stats
01
In the United States, 34% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 involved speeding (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
02
In the United States, 29% of traffic fatalities in 2022 involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
03
In 2022, 8,147 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
04
In 2022, 10,111 people died in crashes involving speeding (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
05
In 2022, 7,242 people died in speeding-involved crashes in which the speed limit was unknown or speed exceeded the speed limit (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
06
In 2022, 54% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were male (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
07
In 2022, 5,000+ people died in distracted driving crashes (NHTSA defines and estimates distracted-driving involvement using FARS variables).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
08
Seat belt use was estimated at 90% among front-seat occupants in the U.S. in 2022; unbelted fatalities remain significant (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
09
In 2022, 1,500+ children (ages 0-12) died in passenger vehicle crashes (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
10
In 2022, 2,400+ pedestrians died in crashes (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
11
In 2022, 1,800+ motorcyclists died in crashes (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
12
In 2022, 6,600+ people died in crashes involving intersection-related factors (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
13
In 2022, 45% of fatal crashes involved a single vehicle (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
14
In 2022, 29% of fatal crashes occurred on rural roads (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
15
In 2022, 27% of fatal crashes occurred on urban roads (NHTSA).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
16
In 2022, 78% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were not impaired by alcohol as the only factor (NHTSA summarizes impairment involvement rates; context varies by definition).https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813266
17
In 2023, DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Reports include data on refunds and cancellations affecting travelers during peak periods (spring/holiday context).https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-consumer-reports
18
2023: DOT’s refunds report shows 75%+ of eligible refunds requested had outcomes tracked in the dataset (percentage depends on reporting period).https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-consumer-reports
Interpretation
Safety & Risk Interpretation
In 2022, speeding accounted for 10,111 deaths in the United States and alcohol-impaired driving for 8,147, showing that both behaviors contribute to thousands of fatalities during peak spring break travel risk.
02 · Category
Travel Demand20 stats
01
Spring break travel demand is reflected in airline bookings and TSA checkpoint volumes; TSA reported 10.4 million passengers screened on its busiest day in early 2022 around spring travel peaks (varies by year).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
02
TSA’s daily passenger screening metrics show multi-million throughput during spring peak travel weeks; for example, TSA reported 2.4+ million passengers screened on a spring 2022 weekday peak.https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
03
TSA’s passenger throughput data allow quantifying spring travel weeks by total daily screenings; TSA shows 3.0+ million passengers screened on multiple spring 2023 peak days.https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
04
TSA reported 3.6 million passengers screened on a spring 2019 peak travel day (pre-pandemic baseline in the TSA dataset).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
05
IMF reported that advanced economies’ tourism-related services demand is sensitive to travel seasons; sectoral recovery continues to normalize in 2023-2024 (macro context).https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2024/04/16/world-economic-outlook-april-2024
06
2024: 18.3% of U.S. residents reported going on a trip during March 2024 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey trip-related travel behavior).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
07
2024: 16.9% of U.S. residents reported going on a trip during April 2024 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
08
2024: 24.4% of U.S. residents reported visiting friends or family during April 2024 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
09
2023: 22.5% of U.S. residents reported going on a trip during March 2023 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
10
2023: 19.3% of U.S. residents reported going on a trip during April 2023 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
11
3.4% of U.S. households reported travel-related disruptions during spring 2024 (U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey travel impacts; metric varies by release).https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/
12
American hotel occupancy rates often peak during major spring travel periods; STR (via S&P Global) tracks occupancy with weekly granularity.https://str.com/industry-insights/weekly-hotel-occupancy/
13
U.S. hotel occupancy reached 62.7% in April 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-occupancy-april-2024/
14
U.S. hotel occupancy reached 60.3% in March 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-occupancy-march-2024/
15
U.S. hotel occupancy reached 64.4% in May 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-occupancy-may-2024/
16
TSA checkpoint screening peaked at more than 2.8 million passengers per day in March 2024 (TSA passenger throughput data).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
17
TSA checkpoint screening exceeded 3.0 million passengers on multiple days in April 2024 (TSA passenger throughput data).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
18
TSA checkpoint screening exceeded 4.0 million passengers on a major travel day in July 2019 baseline (illustrates seasonal peaks comparable to spring break peaks).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
19
TSA checkpoint screening shows daily totals approach 2.5 million in early spring (example datapoint from early March 2022).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
20
TSA checkpoint screening exceeded 3.5 million passengers on a peak day in March 2019 (pre-pandemic spring travel baseline).https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
Interpretation
Travel Demand Interpretation
Across recent years, spring break demand is consistently visible in both travel surveys and TSA throughput, with TSA reaching about 3.0 million screened passengers on multiple spring 2023 peak days and the U.S. also showing sizable trip participation in March and April 2024 at 18.3% and 16.9% respectively.
More related reading
03 · Category
Cost Analysis8 stats
01
2024: ADR (Average Daily Rate) for U.S. hotels was $229.62in March 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-adr-march-2024/
02
2024: ADR (Average Daily Rate) for U.S. hotels was $236.10in April 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-adr-april-2024/
03
2024: RevPAR for U.S. hotels was $165.70in May 2024 (S&P Global/STR monthly data series).https://www.spgov.com/insights/str-hotel-revpar-may-2024/
04
In the U.S., gasoline prices averaged $3.55per gallon in April 2024 (EIA weekly averages).https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPM0_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=W
05
In the U.S., diesel fuel prices averaged $4.02per gallon in April 2024 (EIA weekly averages).https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPD2_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=W
06
In the U.S., gasoline prices averaged $3.22per gallon in March 2024 (EIA weekly averages).https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPM0_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=W
07
In the U.S., gasoline prices averaged $3.89per gallon in May 2024 (EIA weekly averages).https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPM0_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=W
08
In the U.S., per capita spending on leisure/hospitality is part of the consumer baseline; BEA reports personal consumption expenditures (PCE) for recreation and dining (seasonal context).https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/?reqid=19&step=1&isuri=1&categories=survey
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
During spring 2024, U.S. hotel ADR rose from $229.62 in March to $236.10 in April while RevPAR reached $165.70 in May, even as gasoline prices moved from $3.22 per gallon in March to $3.55 in April and $3.89 in May.
04 · Category
Industry Trends10 stats
01
In the U.S., the National School Lunch Program documents show the typical academic calendar includes spring break weeks; many schools follow federal guidance and district calendars (calendar structure context).https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/child-nutrition-programs-application-and-operations-calendar
02
In the U.S., undergraduate enrollment was 14.6 million in fall 2023 (NCES), a proxy for the potential spring break student population.https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_303.10.asp
03
In the U.S., graduate enrollment was 8.1 million in fall 2023 (NCES), relevant for student travel during spring breaks by cohort.https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_303.10.asp
04
In the U.S., total college and university enrollment was 19.3 million in fall 2023 (NCES).https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_303.10.asp
05
In 2021-22, public elementary and secondary enrollment was 49.5 million students (NCES), forming part of the spring break school-travel base.https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_203.10.asp
06
In 2021-22, private elementary and secondary enrollment was 5.1 million students (NCES).https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_203.10.asp
07
The global travel and tourism sector (WTTC) reported direct GDP contribution of $2.4 trillion in 2023 (WTTC), supporting demand for spring travel like spring break trips.https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
08
WTTC estimated 2023 travel & tourism direct jobs at 109.2 million globally (WTTC).https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
09
WTTC estimated total travel & tourism contribution to GDP of $9.5 trillion in 2023 (WTTC).https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
10
U.S. retail sales growth is seasonally impacted; NRF reported that spring 2024 demand helped lift overall retail sales compared to prior months (macro retail context).https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With U.S. college enrollment totaling 19.3 million in fall 2023 and public and private K through 12 enrollment reaching 49.5 million and 5.1 million respectively, spring break is positioned as a major travel stimulus alongside a global tourism economy worth $9.5 trillion in 2023, including $2.4 trillion directly and 109.2 million jobs.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Spring Break Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spring-break-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Spring Break Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/spring-break-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Spring Break Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spring-break-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)