Many people will assume that New Year’s Eve has the most hazardous roads compared to other holidays, but statistics reveal a different story: Thanksgiving has proven to be the most dangerous holiday for drivers.
Between 2017 and 2021—the most recent five years of data available—2,456 people were killed in automobile accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday. This surpasses the number of deaths associated with Labor Day (at 2,351), the Fourth of July (at 2,345), Memorial Day (at 2,191), and Christmas (at 1,680).
Perhaps surprisingly, New Year’s Eve is the safest holiday: Fatal accidents were 16% lower than the rest of December. However, New Year’s Day was more dangerous. This may reflect accidents happening post-midnight after people left New Year’s parties.
One may assume that winter weather plays a factor in Thanksgiving accident statistics, but per the below chart, northern states that experience snow during Thanksgiving generally fare better than warmer states during this holiday. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are even further into winter and don’t have higher instances of deadly crashes either.
Holiday crash statistics
- South Carolina was the deadliest state to drive in November and December, with more than 1.9 crash fatalities per 100 million miles driven in those months between 2017 and 2021.
- Mississippi, Louisiana, Montana and Florida complete the top 5 most dangerous list by this metric.
- Nearly 70% of the crash fatalities were men, accounting for nearly 22,500 of the deaths.
- Men saw the highest number of deaths from ages 18 to the mid-30s.
A troubling trend is that the statistics skew heavily male. On average, men are responsible for more accidents, as they are more prone to speeding and riskier behavior.
These are the 10 most dangerous states for driving during the holidays, according to a U.S. News analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Montana
- Florida
- Oregon
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Arizona
Why is Thanksgiving such a dangerous holiday for drivers?
While it’s impossible to pinpoint one main reason why Thanksgiving has become so treacherous on our roadways, we know that it is one of the most traveled holidays of the year. So the sheer number of people out on the road adds greatly to the statistics. Many people report heightened anxiety around the holidays, whether it’s surrounding expectations or interactions with family members. This can lead to excessive drinking or self-medicating, which can hamper a person’s ability to drive effectively. Research has provided additional insights.
- More than 1 in 4 deaths in the last two months of the year involved speeding.
- Nearly 8% of deaths had a distracted driver involved.
- Approximately 1 in 3 deaths were caused when adverse weather conditions such as snow, rain, or fog were present.
- Drunk drivers are also a notable danger over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with the Wednesday preceding the holiday known as “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday” in some circles.
- Over the Thanksgiving weekends between 2017 and 2021, more than 830 people died in crashes involving drunk drivers, who died in 137 of those crashes.
Social media, the holidays, and distracted driving
TrueMotion, a company that measures mobile telematics, a method of capturing and processing driving data, found that drivers were more likely to check a text and review posts on Facebook and Instagram between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. In fact, drivers use apps and text 33% more during the holidays.
While the precise reason is unclear, Matt Fiorentino, director of marketing at TrueMotion, speculates that as people are driving home, they want to send updates as to where they are.
“Unfortunately, sometimes they’ll send a text while they’re driving,” said Fiorentino. “This also happens when you’re stuck in traffic and want to let your loved ones know you’ll be delayed.”
To compound the problem, TrueMotion also found that speeds increase during the holidays. People speed 45 percent of the time during the holiday season on average, compared to 25 percent of the time during the non-holiday season. Thus, not only are drivers more distracted but they are distracted while driving at higher speeds. This is a recipe for disaster.
“Everyone wants a holiday to remember, but not for the wrong reasons,” said former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Deborah Hersman.
Safety tips for the road this Thanksgiving
While you cannot control the actions of others, there are plenty of things you can do to stay safe on the road. If you find yourself behind the wheel this holiday season, follow these simple rules:
- Slow down, and follow the speed limit.
- In inclement weather, it may be necessary to drive below the speed limit.
- On the highway, follow the Rule of Seconds.
- Stay off your phone, and if the temptation is too great, stash it in a place you cannot reach. If you need directions, follow the voice prompts over the visual map.
- Never drink and drive.
- Always wear your seat belt.
- Make sure your car is ready for a big road trip, with an oil change, good tire pressure, and if needed, get your car winterized.
- Family gatherings can be exhausting, especially when a heavy meal is involved. Turkey is known to make people sleepy because of tryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid that makes people sleepy. Consider sleeping over at the home you are visiting, or at least take a nap on the couch.
- Instead of texting location information to your loved ones, consider using the “Share Your Location” feature on your smartphone. How to: iPhone (click here for instructions) or Android (click here for instructions).
To help keep people safe over the holidays, Allen & Allen hosts an annual Sober Ride Home program. During this holiday safety initiative, The Allen Law Firm distributes codes for free Lyft rides for those out celebrating on New Year’s Eve. Details for this program will be made available soon, so check our website and social media for updates.
We wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. However, accidents do happen. Should you or a loved one become injured in an accident through no fault of your own, the compassionate personal injury attorneys at Allen & Allen are happy to offer a free and confidential case evaluation. Call us today at 866-388-1307.