Thanksgiving travel can be deadly. Stay safe on record-setting holiday
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They thawed the turkey. Put a few pinecones on the mantle. Baked the pumpkin cheesecake their granddaughter likes.
Now, with just a few errands to run before Thanksgiving Dinner, a quick drive to the store.
They wreck.
They die.
Eleven people were killed during traffic collisions in Ohio last Thanksgiving weekend. Thirteen more died in the same timeframe the year before. Nineteen in 2022.
A decade ago, two boys from North Central Ohio watched their mother die. A day known for giving thanks and celebrating family was marred forever as a tragic anniversary.
After those crashes, a trooper from the Ohio Highway Patrol, sometimes Lt. Ray Santiago, knocks on a door and interrupts a meal.
“You know that in that moment, you’ve changed a family’s life forever,” Santiago said. “For me, that is the one thing you’ll never get enough training on. You’ll never get used to it.”
‘The single busiest holiday for travel’
Thanksgiving travel this year will likely be the busiest of all time, AAA has predicted.
About 82 million people will venture at least 50 miles from home Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, the automobile association estimated.
Predictions for travel numbers include 73 million by car, which is 90% of all Thanksgiving travelers, as well as 6 million by air and 2½ million by all other means.
“This year’s domestic travel forecast includes an additional 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record,” AAA noted. “Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel compared to others like Memorial Day and July 4.”
A partnership between AAA and MADD is designed to remind drivers about the dangers of impaired driving.
“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 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,” AAA noted. “Have a plan in place before Thanksgiving, and use a rideshare, designate a sober driver, or take public transit to ensure everyone’s safety.”
AAA tips for safe winter travel
Even after the holidays, winter storms, bad weather and sloppy road conditions are factors in nearly half a million crashes and more than 2,000 road deaths every winter nationwide.
To reduce the risks of being involved in a crash, AAA tells motorists to prepare their vehicle for the season, adopt winter driving techniques, and follow general roadway safety.
Drivers should always keep a bundle of cold-weather gear in their car, such as extra food and water, warm clothing, a flashlight, a window scraper, blankets, medications and more.
It is also important to check batteries and refill windshield washer fluid.
AAA tells drivers to make sure tires are properly inflated with plenty of tread, keep at least half a tank of fuel in the vehicle at all times, never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area (such as garages) and avoid using cruise control when driving on any slippery surface like ice and snow.
If your vehicle breaks down or you are involved in a crash, turn on your hazard lights, move your vehicle as far off the roadway as possible, remain in the vehicle and call the Ohio Highway Patrol by dialing #677.
419-564-3508
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