10 Things to Know About Seasonal Risks

1. Christmas accounted for the least number of vehicle thefts – 1,225 – in 2014 out of the top 10 holidays ranked by the number of stolen vehicles, according to the Insurance Information Institute. New Year’s day had the second most thefts with 2,011; New Year’s Eve ranked sixth with 1,858; and Christmas eve ranked seventh with 1,750.
2. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says 12 fatalities and 14,500 holiday decoration injuries were treated in emergency rooms in November-December 2014.
3. Toy recalls by CPSC were down from 172 in 2008 to 25 in 2015.
4. The National Ski Areas Association reported that skier and snowboarder fatalities were up slightly to 35 for the 2014-2015 season, compared to 32 during the 2013-2014 season. Of the 35 people who died, 26 were wearing helmets.
5. Catastrophic injuries of paralysis, broken necks or broken backs, and life-altering severe head injuries at ski resorts were down from 52 in 2013-2014 and 76 in 2012-2013 to 42 during the 2014-2015 season, the NSAA reports. Of the 42 injured, 27 were wearing helmets and 15 were not helmeted.
6. Motor vehicle crash deaths between November-January of 2013 totaled 7,897, accounting for 24 percent of motor vehicle deaths for the entire year, according to the I.I.I. based on data from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.
7. The National Safety Council reports that in 2013, 343 people were killed by automobiles on New Year’s day, 360 on Thanksgiving day and 88 on Christmas day. Alcohol-impaired incidents represented 31 percent of the deaths.
8. Retail hiring in November 2015 was down 5 percent over the same time in 2014, according to job placement specialists Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
9. CyberMonday, the online shopping day the Monday following Thanksgiving, could cost almost $450 million in lost productivity, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
10. According to the I.I.I., if Santa Claus were insured, he would likely have aviation insurance for his sleigh; mortality coverage for his reindeer; a business insurance policy for his workshop, product liability for toys; life, health, disability and workers’ compensation coverage for his elves; home insurance; key person insurance; additional coverage for high-value gifts; and travel insurance for his post-Christmas vacation.