It’s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 4:30 in the afternoon. On I-76, brake lights stretch to the horizon, a minivan crawls by, packed to the roofline, and somebody two lanes over has decided the shoulder counts as a passing lane. Meanwhile, the bars in your hometown are about to fill with old classmates back for the holiday, and a cold front is sliding in from the west. Everywhere around you, drivers are thinking more about where they’re going and what they’re bringing to dinner than the road ahead.
This is what makes Thanksgiving driving so risky. It’s not just one bad habit or a single traffic hazard. It’s all these factors—heavy traffic, drinking, fatigue, and late-fall weather—combined. But the good news is that every one of those hazards is something that can be planned around, and safe holiday travel starts with understanding why this particular time of the year is so different.
What Makes Thanksgiving Travel More Dangerous?
Thanksgiving is one of the most travel-heavy periods of the year, and most people are doing that traveling on the same days. AAA projected that 81.1 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home over last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, with most leaving and returning on the same dates: Wednesday afternoon and Sunday evening.
Another issue is the fact that people traveling during this time are more likely to be distracted. They may be navigating unfamiliar exits, checking their phones to see where they’re going or to give someone their ETA. They might be juggling kids, pets, and luggage, or driving a long stretch after a tiring day.
In Pennsylvania, specifically, congested corridors around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as mountainous stretches on I-80 and I-81, can make this type of driving even more dangerous. Add alcohol to the mix, and the risks increase even more.
“Blackout Wednesday” & the Drive Home from Dinner
The night before Thanksgiving has earned the nickname “blackout Wednesday” for a reason. Bars everywhere fill up with people reuniting after months or years, and the festive mood carries into “Friendsgiving” dinners and family gatherings throughout the rest of the weekend. While these gatherings are a fun way to catch up with old friends and see beloved family members, the problems arise when people decide to leave the bar and get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
NHTSA counted 910 deaths in drunk-driving crashes during Thanksgiving periods from 2020 through 2024, accounting for about 36 percent of all traffic fatalities in those holiday windows. In Pennsylvania, PennDOT recorded 1,248 impaired-driving crashes and 34 deaths between Thanksgiving week and New Year’s Day of 2023 to 2024.
Decide How You’ll Ride Before the First Drink
The most reliable safeguard against drunk driving is deciding how everyone gets home before anyone picks up a glass. That might mean choosing a designated driver who stays sober all night, using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or spending the night in a spare bedroom. Alcohol isn’t the only substance that impairs driving, either, so the same plan applies to anyone taking medication that causes drowsiness or using any substance that could impact one’s ability to safely operate a vehicle.
If You Spot an Impaired Driver
Unfortunately, even when we take every precaution to stay safe, we can’t control what others decide to do.
Drunk drivers don’t belong on our roads, but here’s what to do if you see one:
- Create distance: When you see a suspected drunk driver (or anyone behaving erratically behind the wheel), the safest move is to make space between your vehicle and theirs. Slow down, let the vehicle get ahead, and don’t try to follow or confront the driver.
- Call 911: You can report suspected drunk drivers by calling 911. When it’s safe to do so, pull over first before making the call. The dispatcher will likely ask for the location, the direction of travel, and a description of the car.
Drunk driver warning signs include weaving between lanes, drifting over the line, braking for no reason, or driving at night without headlights.
When Everyone Is Running Late
Impairment is not the only way other drivers put you at risk this weekend. Sober people can be just as dangerous when they’re in a hurry.
Holiday traffic tests patience, and that impatience can show up as speeding, tailgating, and sudden lane changes. A driver who has been crawling for 40 minutes might try to make up for lost time the second the road opens, and the people around them are the ones who pay for that decision.
Large trucks are part of this picture. Retail and delivery freight doesn’t pause for the holiday, and a loaded tractor-trailer needs far more room to stop than a passenger car. If you’re traveling near one, stay out of its blind spots and leave extra space ahead of you. If a truck collision does happen, the legal questions can get complicated quickly, and that’s where an experienced truck accident attorney can help.
The best defense is leaving yourself plenty of room. A following distance of at least three to four seconds gives you time to react when someone brakes hard, and that space extends in inclement weather or when there’s poor visibility. If an aggressive driver rides your bumper, change lanes and let them go. Nothing about getting to dinner five minutes sooner is worth an argument at 70 miles per hour.
Long Drives, Full Plates & Tired Eyes
Turkey gets blamed for the post-Thanksgiving dinner sleepiness, but the real culprits are less festive: early wakeups, hours behind the wheel, and a big, heavy meal after a long and often-stressful day. Fatigued driving is difficult to measure after a crash, but NHTSA notes that an estimated 2 to 20 percent of traffic fatalities involve drowsiness.
When it comes to avoiding drowsy driving, a few habits go a long way. Trade off driving duties when you can and plan a stop roughly every two hours, even if you feel fine. If you catch yourself yawning, missing an exit, or drifting in your lane, treat it as a signal to pull off and rest rather than a challenge to push through. Rolling the windows down, cranking the radio, or having another cup of coffee isn’t going to wake you up enough to drive safely.
Distractions pile up on these trips, too. Set the GPS, load the playlist, and hand out snacks before you leave the driveway, because those tasks are much harder to manage at highway speed.
Pennsylvania’s Late-November Weather Wildcard
Even a well-rested, sober driver can be surprised by the weather. In late November, Pennsylvania conditions can change by the hour, or even by the mile. The northwest corner near Erie can see lake-like snow, while Philadelphia is simply gray and damp. The Poconos and Laurel Highlands may be icing over while the valleys stay clear. Bridges and overpasses freeze first, fog settles into river valleys, and wet leaves can make a curve slicker than it looks.
Daylight is also in short supply at this time of year. With the clocks already turned back, it’s dark before most people finish a late-afternoon drive, which makes everything harder to see, from deer crossing the roadway to patches of ice.
Checking 511PA before you leave, and again at any long stop, gives you live road conditions and closures. And don’t forget the basics of any safe road trip: decent tires, working wipers, a full washer fluid reservoir, a gas tank that never drops below half, and a small emergency kit with a blanket, a flashlight, and a phone charger.
When Someone Else’s Choices Change Your Holiday
Even careful drivers can’t control what happens around them. If you do find yourself involved in a crash, the first priorities are your immediate safety and medical care. Move to a safe spot off the road if you can, call 911, and get checked out even if you feel okay, since some injuries take hours or days to show up. Photograph the vehicles, the road, and any visible injuries, and gather names and contact information from the other driver and any witnesses. At the scene, stick to the facts and avoid guessing about who was at fault.
After that, be cautious with the other driver’s insurance company. Adjusters may ask for a recorded statement within hours or days of the accident, but it’s usually wise to speak with a lawyer first. Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence rules can reduce or even bar recovery for someone found 51 percent or more at fault, so how a crash is described early on can matter a great deal when it comes to your recovery.
A person hurt by a drunk or reckless driver may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. In some drunk driving cases, punitive damages may also be on the table, and a bar or restaurant that served a visibly intoxicated patron may share responsibility. Every case turns on its own facts, so it’s worth talking through yours with a car accident lawyer. Pennsylvania generally gives people two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but the sooner you act, the better.
When a crash takes someone’s life, the family may have rights under Pennsylvania’s wrongful death laws, and an attorney can explain what those look like.
Get There & Get Home
Thanksgiving is supposed to be about the people at the table. Plan the ride, leave early, watch the forecast, and keep an eye out for the drivers around you. If a drunk or reckless driver does hurt you or someone you love this holiday, the attorneys at Handler, Henning & Rosenberg are available to talk through your options.