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Full moons and particularly "supermoons" have been linked to increased deaths of motorcyclists:
Distracted drivers, like those who text behind the wheel, are a danger to themselves and to others. Even a brief, momentary glance away from the road can result in life-threatening consequences.
Research published Dec. 11 in The BMJ [open, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.j5367] [DX] points toward another potential distraction for motorists: the full moon, gracing the sky with its brightness around 12 times a year, and the dazzling supermoon, which comes into focus around once a year.
The researchers found that on nights illuminated by a full moon, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 5 percent compared to nights without a full moon. On evenings when the supermoon decorated the sky, this increased to 32 percent. The study included data from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
While this observational data cannot prove any firm conclusions, the researchers warn drivers of the risks of seemingly minor distractions, urging constant attention while driving at all times.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 14 2017, @03:29AM
I'd speculate that the opposite is true. Full moons reduce the chance of accidents, but more people drive motorcycles during this time due to more favorable driving conditions.
It's kind of like how people stop driving when road conditions get poor. For example, snow in the south. There might be less accidents in some areas, but not because the roads are safer, but rather because much less people are driving due to the unsafety.