When asked, “Which holiday results in the most traffic deaths and drunk driving arrests,” most people would probably guess New Year’s. That’s a good guess, but you might be surprised to learn that tonight, the night before Thanksgiving, is actually the most dangerous day of the year to be driving.
Many people drive back home or to visit family on Wednesday night, and oftentimes it is a night for younger audiences to reconnect with long lost friends and the local watering hole. Also, since a lot of people don’t have to work on Thanksgiving, they can put a few more beers back tonight and nurse the hangover away with an extra helping of stuffing tomorrow. So when you add more drivers on the road, and the opportunity to put down a few more beverages, it’s no surprise that “Blackout Wednesday,” as it has been coined in some circles, is the deadliest day on US roads, especially if bad weather has already set in.
Holidays and Drunk Driving
When you look at the data, it’s clear that the Thanksgiving holiday is far and away the time with the most inebriated drivers. Statistics from the Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety from 2010-2014 suggest that the average number of DUIs per hour during the Thanksgiving holiday is almost double the rate of a normal day. On average, during the Thanksgiving stretch, police arrest 4.3 people for DWI per hour. On a normal day, it’s about 2.5 DWI arrests per hour. The next closest holiday, which is New Year’s, is about 4.0 arrests per hour.
Drunk driving related deaths also spike during the Thanksgiving holiday more so than any other holiday. Of the occupants who lost their lives in a motor vehicle crash since 2014, here’s a look at the percentage of accidents in which alcohol was a contributing factor:
- Thanksgiving: 53.8 percent
- Christmas: 46.2 percent
- Fourth of July: 40 percent
- Memorial Day: 27.3 percent
- Labor Day: 16.7 percent
- New Year’s Day: 12.5 percent
Obviously the New Year’s stats are skewed a bit because driving conditions are inherently worse in early January, but still, the numbers should open your eyes to the dangers of this holiday. Don’t drink and drive tonight, or over the Thanksgiving break, and be especially careful if you’re being a designated driver around bar time, because odds are not everyone is sober. Make smart decisions tonight, and give us a call if you get in a pickle. (952) 224-2277
