Sports fans often dream of nail-biters that the hometown team wins against long odds. The Carolina Hurricanes secured just such a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against the Las Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday, June 4. 

But there can be a bad side to good games. In my research with coauthors Melayne McInnes and David Norton, we found that highly competitive nail-biters can lead to a 133% increase in traffic fatalities in the winning team’s hometown.

Why? Think about that Thursday night and how emotional it was for both teams. For the first two periods at the Lenovo Center, the Hurricanes looked dead in the water. Vegas dominated early, scoring two goals and maintaining a shutout deep into the match.

Then, the game completely flipped on its head.

• The Spark: With 9:40 left on the clock, ‘Canes center Logan Stankoven forced a turnover behind the net and banked a shot off a defender to finally put Carolina on the board.
• The Surge: The goal sent the home crowd into a frenzy, triggering a massive wave of momentum. Left winger Mark Jankowski tied the game just minutes later, and captain Jordan Staal deflected in a power-play goal to give the Hurricanes a shocking 3-2 lead.
• The Response: Vegas refused to go quietly. After pulling their goalie for an extra attacker, right winger Mark Stone slipped a game-tying goal past Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen with just 1:21 remaining to force overtime.
• The Overtime Battle: The drama culminated early in the extra period when Vegas was called for a tripping penalty. Capitalizing on the 4-on-3 advantage, Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis blasted a brilliant one-timer from the left face-off circle, securing the comeback win for Carolina.

When competitors are locked in battle, their emotions are high and their testosterone rises. Research shows that this automatic physical reaction happens for fans as well. In fact, even fish watching two other fish fight for dominance will experience an increase in testosterone. When the game ends, the victor’s testosterone continues to rise, but the loser’s testosterone quickly decreases. 

Unfortunately, testosterone (especially when combined with alcohol) can lead to more aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, cutting into traffic or changing lanes suddenly. Our research, looking at a 19-year period, found that close games in both college and pro sports led to an increase in postgame traffic fatalities. This spike in traffic danger specifically impacts only the winning cities, not losing ones. The combined surge of testosterone and joy can create a false sense of overconfidence behind the wheel.  

Local authorities and safety advocates echo our behavioral insights. So after an intense win, take a moment before you get in the car to relax and savor the victory. Then drive safely.

This post was originally published in Poole Thought Leadership.