Thanksgiving Travel Guide; Avoid the 3 D’s

Texting and driving. Photo is in the Public Domain.

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. On average, 90 percent of people choose to drive to their destination, at nearly 600 miles per round trip. As a result, Thanksgiving is also one of the year’s deadliest weeks for traffic crashes. Unfortunately, this is often a result of unsafe or negligent driving.

Three major factors contribute to auto accidents that we like to call the three “D’s”: drowsy, distracted and drunk driving. If you choose to drive this Thanksgiving, we hope that you keep these potential hazards in mind before you get behind the wheel.

Drowsy Driving:

-It is recommended that drivers on long trips take breaks every two hours, or 100 miles, and rotate driving.

-The busiest travel time is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving between the hours of 1 and 6 p.m. Try to leave early in the day to avoid traffic, rather than later when you’re less alert.

-Avoid fatigue by choosing not to drive immediately following the traditional large Thanksgiving meal. Turkey is known for its high levels of tryptophan, and contains an amino acid that contributes to sleepiness.

-Statistics show that young male drivers are most commonly involved in fatigue-related accidents, which usually occur at night.

Distracted Driving:

-Studies show 85 percent of crashes occur within three seconds of a driver’s distraction.

-The most dangerous distraction is texting while driving. One in four of all driving accidents can be blamed on texting.

-Be sure your luggage is packed safely and securely. Loose items can divide your focus or even become a dangerous projectile if you’re forced to brake suddenly.

-If you’re traveling with pets, make sure they are secured with a harness, seat belt or in a crate. Unrestrained pets can be a dangerous distraction when driving and a physical threat in an accident.

Drunk Driving: 

-Thanksgiving is the holiday that statistically has the largest number of drunk driving fatalities, even more so than on New Year’s Eve.  This is due largely to the high volume of traffic.

-Thanksgiving Eve, or “Black Wednesday,” is unofficially considered the busiest bar night of the year. If possible, avoid being on the busy roads after 6 p.m.

-As the most traveled holiday period of the year, DUI arrests are at their highest between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Keeping these factors in mind, we hope that everyone’s Thanksgiving trip goes smoothly and safely. But, if for any reason you experience an accident this Thanksgiving due to the negligent actions of another driver, we are here to help. Please contact us for a free consultation at 800-800-5678, or start a live chat with us anytime at www.hupy.com.