Dubbed “blackout Wednesday” or “drinksgiving,” the night before Thanksgiving has developed a reputation for heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking, particularly among college students and others home for the holiday.
Unfortunately, that trend isn’t isolated to the evening before the holiday. The risks caused by impaired driving have made the long Thanksgiving weekend one of the most dangerous times to be on the road.
Unusually heavy traffic and the effects of holiday revelry and bar crawls are recognized as the biggest culprits behind the increase in drunk driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period. In addition to alcohol, use of illegal drugs, prescription medications and over-the-counter medications can also impair driving.
“More cars on the road mean more risk of crashes. With more than 73 million Americans projected to be on the roadways during the Thanksgiving travel period, those choosing to drive impaired are not only endangering themselves, but millions of other drivers, passengers and pedestrians,” says Lori Weaver Hawkins, public and government affairs manager for AAA Blue Grass.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2019 to 2023, the death toll in drunk-driving crashes during Thanksgiving festivities was 868, representing more than one-third (35%) of all fatalities in traffic crashes during that holiday period. These fatalities are tragic and were completely preventable.
NHTSA’s statistics also reveal that throughout the year, drivers involved in fatal crashes during nighttime hours are four times as likely to be impaired compared to those involved in daytime fatal crashes.
In Kentucky, according to Kentucky State Police crash data, there were 2,564 traffic collisions during the extended Thanksgiving holiday travel period in 2024 — Nov. 26 – Dec. 2 — resulting in nine fatalities. Of those total crashes, 89 were known to involve alcohol, resulting in one fatality and 29 injuries.
Impaired driving also endangers the lives of law enforcement, tow truck operators, emergency response teams and others working at the side of the road.
“Driving while impaired – to any degree – is never acceptable,” says Weaver Hawkins. “The risk to yourself, passengers and others on the roadway is far too great, especially when convenient, safe alternatives to getting behind the wheel impaired are readily available.”
In an effort to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities resulting from impaired driving, AAA and other traffic safety partners, work year-round to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving. AAA recently announced a collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to:
• Reduce impaired driving deaths by 20% in the next five years.
• Raise public awareness by educating the public on the dangers of impaired driving.
• Support public safety campaigns by collaborating on campaigns such as the “Holiday Booze It & Lose It” campaign and the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization.
• Advocate for safer roads, including stricter laws and anti-drunk driving technology in new vehicles.
• Continue work with law enforcement by collaborating with state and local law enforcement on initiatives like sobriety checkpoints.
There are a number of steps motorists and others can take this Thanksgiving holiday to prevent impaired driving from turning the holiday into tragedy:
• Remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving. Don’t risk it.
• Never let friends or family drive if they are impaired.
• Always buckle up. It offers your best chance of survival in a crash.
• If you suspect that another motorist is impaired, contact law enforcement.
• Designate a safe and sober driver or download a ride-share app before the celebration begins.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, plan to call a cab or a ride-share service or use public transportation.
• Get sober before getting behind the wheel. Only time works―not coffee nor cold showers. It takes about 1 hour to burn off an average drink. Five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1½ ounces of liquor all contain about the same amount of alcohol.
• If you’re hosting a holiday party, offer festive non-alcoholic drink options for your guests and those serving as designated drivers. Be responsible and take action to make sure guests get home safely. Prepare to call taxis or rideshares, provide sleeping accommodations or — if you’re sober — drive guests home yourself.
“With so many options making it easy to avoid driving after drinking, it doesn’t make sense to take a life-risking chance,” Weaver Hawkins added. “Plan ahead and choose a designated driver or call a ride-share service and get home safely.”
AAA Blue Grass