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🦃 Timing Turkey Day 🚗

Road Trips and Arriving Safely

When it comes to Thanksgiving travel, both the journey and the destination matter.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest holidays for road trips over 50 miles. Many people head out for multi-day visits with family and friends, while others make same-day roundtrips.

Safety Spotlight: Tips from NHTSA for a Safe Holiday Drive

Travel at a safe speed. Even at the speed limit, conditions like weather, construction, or low visibility may require slowing down.
Avoid distractions. Texting while driving is extremely dangerous—five seconds of looking away at 55 mph equals driving a football field blindfolded.
Buckle up – every trip, every time. Seat belts dramatically increase your chance of surviving a crash. Use NHTSA’s social media playbook to craft messages today.
Use the right car seat. Ensure children are properly buckled in age- and size-appropriate restraints. Since 1975, child restraints have saved over 11,600 children ages 4 and under. Visit Buckle Up MN for resources.
Drive sober. Plan for a sober driver if you intend to drink. Share impaired driving resources with your employees.

Beware Blackout Wednesday

We all know about Black Friday – but have you heard of Blackout Wednesday?

Over the past decade, the night before Thanksgiving has evolved into one of the biggest bar-going nights of the year. It’s a popular reunion night for friends and college students’ home for the holiday, and many bars offer specials that draw large crowds. Unfortunately, this tradition also leads to an increase in impaired driving and contributes to elevated crashes, injury, and fatality numbers over the holiday weekend.

The Facts: Thanksgiving Eve

From 2019 to 2023, 149 drunk drivers were involved in fatal traffic crashes on Thanksgiving Eve.
From 2019 to 2023, of drunk drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes on Thanksgiving Eve, 107 were male and 34 were female. Drivers 21-24 were the age group most likely to be alcohol-impaired in fatal crashes on that same night, followed by drivers ages 25-34 (37%).
In 2023 alone, there were 30 drunk drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes on Thanksgiving Eve, with 17 of the drivers being males.

To help you educate employees and spread the word to the public, we have a variety of resources available focused on Blackout Wednesday and holiday-season driving risks:

Wishing you a Safe Thanksgiving, from all of us at the Minnesota Safety Council!
Our DriveSafeMN website has a variety of additional resources you can use to support your traffic safety objectives.

Questions? Contact Minnesota NETS Coordinator Lisa Kons at [email protected] • 651-228-7330

Minnesota NETS is a partnership with the Minnesota Safety Council,
funded by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/Office of Traffic Safety.

Minnesota Safety Council 474 Concordia Avenue St. Paul, MN 55103 US

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