Thanksgiving Holiday One of the Deadliest on the Road, Particularly for Young Drivers

What are the busiest travel days of the year? Thanksgiving eve and the Sunday after the holiday hold this dubious distinction. According to AAA, 42.5 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, up 4 percent over last year. Nine out of 10 of these travelers will be on the road.

If you’re planning to join the throngs on our highways, take note and care. Turkey day is not only one of the busiest, but most deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of the 411 people who died on our nation’s roadways during the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday period, 34 percent of the fatal crashes involved alcohol. Additionally, 62 percent lost their lives at night and half of those nighttime fatalities involved passengers who were not wearing seat belts.  These statistics are mind-boggling to me—particularly when you consider how effective seat belts are in preventing serious injury and death in the event of crash, and the efforts that have been undertaken over the past three decades to educate the public about seat belts and the dangers of drunk driving.

I want to share another startling fact with you related to Thanksgiving and driving.  Did you know that the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is the biggest bar night of the year? Dubbed “blackout Wednesday” by college students, it is, according to safety advocates and law enforcement officials, the worst night of the year when it comes to crashes, drunk driving crashes and stops. For college coeds and freshman in particular, who may be coming home for the first time since  heading off to school in August or early September, it’s a chance to catch up with friends. (Sorry parents, it’s unlikely they’ll be chomping at the bit to stay home and fill you in on their academic pursuits!)

While your college coed may not be used to checking in with you regarding his plans for the evening or weekend, take a few minutes before he runs out the door, to ask where he’s going and what he’ll be doing. If the activity involves driving, be particularly adamant about him adhering to safe driving practices. In fact, if your child (yes they’re still our children no matter how old they are) hasn’t been behind the wheel since leaving home, take him out for a practice drive before handing over the keys. No, I’m not joking. Teens 16-19 years of age have the highest crash risk of any age group on the road (three times greater). And while that risk does drop after a teen has logged about 1,000 miles behind the wheel (which takes time to accumulate), risk taking doesn’t. New Jersey motor vehicle citation data shows that fully licensed teens (18-20 year olds) commit more violations than their younger counterparts.

The good news, however, is that this generation is getting the message about the dangers of drinking and driving. Now I’m not saying they don’t drink (and I’m not condoning underage drinking), but today’s teens and young adults will designate a driver (someone who opts to remain sober and serve as chauffeur), call a cab, use mass transit, stay the night, or call a friend (even a parent) rather than drive after imbibing. Even if your teen or young adult driver regularly employs one or more of these options, don’t stop reminding him about driving sober (and only riding with sober friends) and commend him for making the safe choice. (Of course, being a good role model is also essential!)

Additionally, take the time this Thanksgiving and throughout the year, to remind your young drivers to always wear their seat belts, not text or talk on their cell phones while driving, and get plenty of rest before taking to the road. As I noted in last week’s post, it’s not uncommon for teens and young adults, particularly college student cramming for exams, to function on just a couple hours of sleep. Drowsy driving is dangerous. Being awake for more than 20 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration or BAC of .08, the point at which you’re legally impaired. The sleep deprived can lapse into a 3- to 4-second “microsleep” without realizing it. Many crashes are the result of a driver taking his or her eyes off the road for three seconds or less.  

So let me finish this week’s post where I started. There will be lots of people on this road this week. If that includes you or your loved ones (including college students coming home for the holiday) don’t compromise when it comes to safety. Be prepared—know your route (and share it with your Thanksgiving hosts), allow plenty of time to get to your destination (particularly if you’ll be traveling on highways and toll roads), and make sure you and your vehicle are
ready for the trip. 

Check your car’s fluid levels, including the windshield wiper reservoir, as well as your tire pressure and treads. Also be sure to outfit your vehicle with an emergency kit that includes jumper cables, flares or a reflective warning device, windshield washer fluid, a collapsible shovel and kitty litter (critical in snow and ice), a blanket, gloves, non-perishable food such as granola or cereal bars, and water. Make sure you have a fully charged cell phone battery (plus a spare) in case you need to call for help or update your host on your arrival time if you’re running later than planned.

If you’ll be traveling a long distance, take breaks every 100 miles, share the driving with others (keep in mind that under New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License  program permit holders can’t drive out of state, but probationary license holders can), and eliminate the distractions. If you do need to make a call, designate the task to a passenger or if driving alone, pull off to a place of safety.

Finally, if you don’t have to drive on Wednesday or Sunday, don’t. I, for one, won’t be on the road. I prefer to stay home on Thanksgiving and use those four days to catch up with my teen.