As Thanksgiving Eve became 'Blackout Wednesday', a spike in DUI crashes followed, NHTSA says

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read

The day before Thanksgiving is a mini-holiday people look forward to in its own right. Often reserved for meeting back up with old friends and family and dropping in on your favorite hometown haunt, Thanksgiving Eve is more often than not associated with drinking.

With that drinking, however, comes increased incidents of drunk and buzzed driving. This Thanksgiving Eve, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has advised that holiday revelers pay extra mind when coming home from their pre-Turkey Day parties this "Blackout Wednesday."

Also known as "Drinksgiving," this pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday mixes a propensity for drinking with more people traveling on the roads. The combination results in a spike in accidents caused by impaired driving, said the NHTSA.

Data from the organization found that nationwide, between 2017 and 2021, there were 137 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve who were impaired by alcohol.

In 2021 alone, 36 drivers were involved in alcohol-related fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve.

Make Thanksgiving fun for all: Keep in mind these accessibility tips this holiday

Holiday travel tips from the experts: Truckers share their pro tips for your Thanksgiving road trip

Tips to get home safe on Thanksgiving Eve

Stay safe this blackout Wednesday with tips from the NHTSA.
Stay safe this blackout Wednesday with tips from the NHTSA.

Many local police departments and governments partner with the NHTSA and other organizations to provide free sober ride programs for days like Thanksgiving Eve and New Year's Eve which are known for heavy drinking.

Rideshare services and taxi companies also tend to offer reduced fees or free rides in order to get customers home safely around the holidays.

NHTSA offered more tips for getting home to your family for turkey day:

  • Check social media accounts and websites of local police departments and community organizations to suss out safe ride options before going out.

  • Look for deals on apps like Lyft and Uber, which offer deals.

  • Always drive 100% sober. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many.

  • Make a plan: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one.

  • You have options to get home safely: designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it.

  • If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.

  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact police.

  • If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thanksgiving eve breeds drunk driving on blackout Wednesday: NHTSA