100+ Thanksgiving Car Accident Statistics

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that an average of 507 people die during the Thanksgiving holiday each year. In fact, Thanksgiving has the highest rates of car accident fatalities for any holiday.

Statistically more people travel by car during the Thanksgiving week, and rates of alcohol impaired driving are an average of 5% higher on the Thanksgiving holiday than they are compared to the annual average each year

This page will provide key statistics around driving accidents on Thanksgiving.

Drunk Driving On Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday and Thanksgiving Day in particular represent some of the highest rates of drunk driving, responsible for the high rates of car accident injuries and fatalities that occur on the Thanksgiving holiday.

• 36%: 36% of all fatalities during the Thanksgiving Day time frame involved a drunk driver.
• 5%: The number of car accident fatalities involving a drunk driver on Thanksgiving are 5% higher than the average number of traffic fatalities involving drunk drivers during any other time of the year.

The table below indicates the percent of traffic fatalities involving alcohol-impaired driving on Thanksgiving Day versus the annual average over the last thirty years:

As indicated in the table above, every single year for the past 30 years the rates of traffic fatalities involving alcohol impaired drivers on Thanksgiving Day have been higher than the annual average for that same year with an average across 30 years of at least 6% higher rates of alcohol impaired drivers on Thanksgiving day compared to the annual average.

Thanksgiving Car Accident Injuries

Thanksgiving is a time of year when many people drive to see friends and family, and even those who use public transport might also rent a car upon arrival at their destination or have a friend/family member pick them up.

Higher rates of drinking and bad weather, as well as rushed travel mean that the risk of car accidents with injuries go up around Thanksgiving too.

In fact, Thanksgiving is statistically the most dangerous holiday for motor vehicle crash fatalities.

Below are the top 5 years with the highest rates of car accidents with injuries only (no fatalities) around Thanksgiving:

1. 2019: 166,580
2. 2018: 164,671
3. 2013: 151,010
4. 2017: 149,213
5. 2016: 147,918

Rates of car accidents continually increased from 2014 through 2019, right before the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, representing some of the highest recorded numbers with the exception of 2013 which was equally high.

Despite lockdowns, 2021 had the highest pandemic car accident rates. However, these rates were still 15.6% lower than pre-pandemic rates.

On average, 8% of all annual car accidents with injuries take place around Thanksgiving.

The table below presents the rates of car accidents with injuries only, no fatalities for the Thanksgiving season since 2008:

Thanksgiving Traffic Fatalities

Thanksgiving season brings a higher risk not just of accidents with injuries only, but with traffic fatalities. After 2013 the rates of car accident fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday time frame have steadily increased each year with the exception of 2019 and as of 2022 reached their highest figures in the last two decades.

The table below presents data for total car accident fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday time frame since 2009:

As you can see in the table above, despite the fact that 2013 saw statistically more significant rates of car accident injuries around Thanksgiving, that same year has the lowest recorded rates of car accident fatalities for the same time frame.

The average rate of car accident fatalities for the Thanksgiving holiday time frame compared to the total number of car accident fatalities for the entire year is 8%, the same as car accidents with injuries only.

Deadliest States For Thanksgiving Drivers

The Department of Transportation categorizes ten regions across the U.S. as follows:

Region 1: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Region 2: Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico

Region 3: Delaware, District of Columnia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee

Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, MIchigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

Region 6: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Region 7: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Region 8: Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawai’i

Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

Since the lockdown, the rates of fatal car accidents on Thanksgiving have increased in the following regions annually:

• Region 1
• Region 2
• Region 3
• Region 5
• Region 9

In Regions 4, 6, and 10 the figures increased but dropped in 2021, only to pick back up again in 2022. In the remaining regions, figures were roughly the same year over year.

The table below presents the number of fatal car accidents in each region per year:

There are several factors that influence the rates of car accident fatalities and car accident injuries around Thanksgiving not least of which include:

• Population density
• Weather
• Level of daylight in November
• Annual road conditions
• Drinking habits

Let’s look at an example:

The safest region in terms of how few fatalities there are at Thanksgiving over the last two decades is Region 1. The deadliest region is Region 4. Region 4 has nearly ten times more car accident fatalities on Thanksgiving compared to Region 1.

Consider that Region 4 had a population breakdown as follows in 2022:

1. Alabama: 5,073,903
2. Florida: 22,244,823
3. Georgia: 3,744,385
4. South Carolina: 5,282,955
5. Tennessee: 7,048,976

This means the collective population was 43,395,042.

Despite the fact that these areas are known for having much more severe weather around Thanksgiving, by comparison, Region 1 had the following population breakdown in 2022:

1. Maine: 1,385,340
2. Massachusetts: 6,981,974
3. New Hampshire: 1,395,231
4. Rhode Island: 1,093,842
5. Vermont: 647,064

This means the collective population for Region 1 was 11,503,451. So, 0.00001% of the population was potentially involved in a fatal car accident on Thanksgiving but for Region 4 was 0.00002% which was only double that of Region 1.

Taking a closer look at Region 4, with 112 fatalities at Thanksgiving in 2022, below is a table with the rates broken down by state in 2022:

This would indicate that Florida, with some of the warmest weather and fewest alcohol-sale restrictions is among the most dangerous for car accident fatalities on Thanksgiving.

However, in that same year California had 60 car accident fatalities on Thanksgiving, more likely attributed to a higher population density and crowded highways.

Car Accident Trends Over Time

The rate of Thanksgiving Day fatalities have remained between 400 and 600 since 1996. Rates of accident injuries and fatalities have steadily risen year over year since the pandemic, reaching pre-pandemic figures.

This indicates a higher anticipated risk this coming Thanksgiving

Accidents Over Thanksgiving Week By Day

When you look at the Thanksgiving week, there are different risks on different days of the holiday week.

• Wednesday: The Wednesday right before Thanksgiving is the most dangerous day for car accidents with property damage or injury.
• 16.7%: 16.7% of all accidents with injuries over Thanksgiving week happened the Wednesday prior.
• 15.6%: The Tuesday before Thanksgiving is when 15.6% of all accidents involving injuries take place.
• 15.9%: The Friday immediately after Thanksgiving is when another 15.9% of all car accidents evolving injuries take place.
• Saturday: The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the most dangerous in terms of the number of fatal car accidents, followed by Thanksgiving Day itself.
• 26.3%: 26.3% of all car accident fatalities during the week of Thanksgiving happened on the Saturday immediately after thanksgiving.
• 23.5%: 23.5% of all car accident fatalities during the week of Thanksgiving happen on Thanksgiving day.
• Black Friday: Black Friday, the day immediately after Thanksgiving has the second highest rates of car accidents with injuries during the week of Thanksgiving in large part because of traffic generated by shoppers.

The table below presents a breakdown of the number of car accident fatalities by day of the week of Thanksgiving in 2022:

Crash Statistics By Gender

Across all age groups, males drive more average annual miles compared to females with a difference of roughly 5,000 miles more per year between men and women.

Additionally, the IIHS has found that men are more likely to utilize risky driving behaviors such as driving under the influence, speeding, and not wearing seatbelts.

This lends itself to higher rates of male drivers involved in car accidents with severe injuries or fatalities and as such a higher risk of men being involved in car accidents on Thanksgiving than women who are driving.

Deadliest Times To Drive Around Thanksgiving

As mentioned above, Thanksgiving Day and the Saturday immediately after Thanksgiving have the highest rates of car accident fatalities. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that an average of 507 people die during the Thanksgiving holiday each year.

Motor vehicles have the highest fatality rate in large part owing to increased alcohol consumption.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 248 fatal car accidents during the day on Wednesdays in November but 244 fatal car accidents at night, indicating no statistically significant difference for day versus night. However, on Fridays in November that figure is 188 during the day but 255 at night, indicating a 27% higher risk of accidents at night.

There are also times of day that are most dangerous.

• Black Friday: On Black Friday the most dangerous times are between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. when the highest number of drivers are likely to be on the road.
• 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: In general, starting in November there is a higher risk of car accidents between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. owing to evenings getting darker much sooner and inclement weather.
• Wednesdays:

How To Stay Safe On The Roads This Thanksgiving

If you are planning to travel over the holidays, particularly driving, there are several things you can do to stay safe on the roads this Thanksgiving:

Don’t Drink

Firstly, if you are the one driving, don’t drink or at the very least be sure to follow government regulations for how long you wait in between each drink so that you do not have a blood alcohol level that could impair your driving.

Eat Less

Secondly, on Thanksgiving Day try to moderate what you eat and how much you eat. Drowsy driving is a significant factor in car accidents and fatalities around the holidays owing to the fact that people tend to overeat in a rush before heading back on the road.

Plan Your Travel Time

Thirdly, plan your travel time appropriately. Many people end up speeding to and from their destinations if they are in a rush, if they are worried about traffic because of a long distance, or if they are traveling to several locations on the same day or week.

By planning your travel time with enough leeway so that you are not stressed, you are less likely to speed especially if you encounter holiday traffic and therefore less likely to get into accidents.

Additionally, consider the deadliest times to drive around Thanksgiving and particularly the most dangerous days of the week. Try to plan around these for additional safety.