NHTSA Thanksgiving Travel Safety Tips Could Help Prevent Hundreds of Holiday Deaths

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with millions of Americans visiting family and friends. However, the holiday also typically sees a significant rise in auto accidents, with more than 300 people losing their lives due to crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022 alone.

Holiday festivities often begin the night before Thanksgiving, with individuals drinking and reconnecting with old friends. Unfortunately, this tradition also increases the dangers on the road.

In 2022, nearly one-third of the fatal crashes around the Thanksgiving holiday occurred on Thanksgiving Eve, with 35% of those accidents involving drunk driving.

Overall, between 2018 and 2022, at least 833 people lost their lives in drunk driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Due to the ongoing dangers associated with travel during this holiday, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued Thanksgiving travel safety tips to help prevent accidents and ensure the holiday remains a time for cherishing moments with loved ones.

NHTSA Thanksgiving Holiday Safety Tips

Federal officials want to remind the public that buzzed driving is drunk driving, and staying sober means avoiding drugs as well. Substances like cannabis can impair a person’s ability to drive safely, leading to slower reaction times, reduced cognitive function and difficulty maintaining lane control.

Not wearing a seatbelt can also be a fatal decision. In 2022, 326 people lost their lives in traffic accidents during Thanksgiving weekend, and 43% of those fatalities involved individuals who were not wearing a seatbelt.

For these reasons, the NHTSA urges drivers to stay sober, buckle up, and make sure their passengers do the same to ensure everyone arrives at their holiday destinations safely.

If someone does decide to drink, it is important to come up with a plan ahead of time. This includes scheduling a rideshare, calling a taxi, using public transportation, or having a sober friend pick the person up.

In addition, if someone sees a friend about to drink and drive, that person should take their friend’s keys and ensure a sober driver gets the person home.

The NHTSA also advises hosts to act responsibly by ensuring their guests get home safely, whether by calling taxis or rideshares, offering sleeping accommodations, or driving guests home themselves if they are sober.

It’s also a good idea for hosts to provide non-alcoholic beverage options and collect car keys from guests who are drinking.

For additional safety tips on how to get home safely, individuals can look over NHTSA’s Ways To Get Home Safely tips.

By taking these steps and encouraging others to do the same, the NHTSA hopes all Americans can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and know their loved ones are safe.