- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Thanksgiving is one of the highest-traffic holidays each year. This Thanksgiving weekend, November 23-27, millions will hit the roads, eager to spend time with friends and family. Being one of the busiest travel times of the year, that unfortunately means more people on the roadways, leading to the potential for more vehicle crashes. This Thanksgiving, there are two major campaigns focused around buckling up and not participating in impaired driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reminding everyone that seat belts save lives and buzzed driving is drunk driving. They share some statistics below from previous Thanksgiving holiday weekends:
- During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2020, there were 333 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation. 52% were unrestrained.
- 50% of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2020 were unrestrained, and 59% of those killed in back seats were unrestrained.
- In 2020, 185 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
- During the 2020 Thanksgiving holiday period, more than four times as many drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired during nighttime hours than during the day.
Let’s make this Thanksgiving different from years past and be conscious of the decisions we make before getting on the road. As you prepare for your trips this coming holiday, keep these additional tips from the NHTSA in mind:
- Buckle up. Every Trip. Every Time.
- Remember that it is never OK to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service, call a taxi or a sober friend to get home safely.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement.
- If you see someone who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely.
MassDOT’s Highway Assistance Program sponsored by MAPFRE Insurance wants everyone to enjoy the holiday safely; the fleet is on patrol to help all motorists, including motorcyclists, on the highways. Patrol operators monitor some of the state’s busiest highways around Metro Boston, Worcester, Springfield and Cape Cod (seasonal). The Highway Assistance Patrol covers 13 major state roadways and interstates, the Emergency Service Patrol covers the Mass Pike (I-90) from New York to Boston and the Incident Response Operators cover the Metropolitan Highway System and tunnels. The Highway Assistance Patrol is in service Monday–Friday between the hours of 6 a.m.–10 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. During holidays, there are extended routes in heavy traffic areas. On I-90, and in Boston’s tunnel system, assistance is provided 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
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