For many families, the holidays are a time for travel, celebration, and connection. Yet on the nation’s roadways, this season of joy often comes with a troubling rise in drunk driving crashes. As more people attend gatherings and spend time on the road, alcohol-related incidents become far more common.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving remains one of the leading causes of fatal crashes in the United States. Each year, thousands of lives are lost because someone decided to drive after drinking.
To better understand how the holidays affect drunk driving incidents, we analyzed five years of the most recent NHTSA crash data, specifically focusing on the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our findings reveal which states see the largest spikes in drunk-driving fatalities during these holiday weeks, which days and times are most dangerous, and how those patterns have shifted over time.
Drunk Driving Statistics During the Holidays
- Holiday weeks see major spikes in drunk driving. Alcohol plays a role in 34% of fatal crashes during Thanksgiving week and 37% during Christmas week, compared to 29% on an average day throughout the year.
- New Jersey leads the nation in holiday drunk-driving deaths. The state sees 156% more drunk-driving fatalities during Thanksgiving week and 85% more during Christmas week than usual.
- Blackout Wednesday isn’t the worst day for drunk-driving fatalities. The Saturday after Thanksgiving and December 23rd are the deadliest days for fatal drunk-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks.
- Drunk driving incidents during the holidays increased during the COVID years. Despite COVID-19 shutdowns, fatal drunk-driving crashes during Thanksgiving week climbed sharply during the pandemic years—up to 163 in 2020 and 177 in 2021 after a dip in 2018–2019.
Where The Holiday Season Sees the Biggest Increase in Drunk-Driving Crashes
Where Thanksgiving Week Sees the Biggest Increase in Drunk-Driving Crashes
- New Jersey – 156% increase in drunk-driving fatal crashes
- Connecticut – 147% increase
- West Virginia – 140% increase
- Maryland – 88% increase
- Delaware – 80% increase
New Jersey tops the nation for the biggest spike in drunk-driving fatal crashes during Thanksgiving week, seeing 156% more fatal crashes per day than on a typical day. Connecticut and West Virginia follow with the second and third-largest spikes. Nationally, 34% of fatal crashes involve alcohol during Thanksgiving week, up from 29% on a typical day. The largest increases cluster in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the South (Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia), where holiday travel and celebrations are especially active.
Where Christmas Week Sees the Biggest Increase in Drunk-Driving Fatal Crashes
- New Jersey – 85% increase in drunk-driving fatal crashes
- West Virginia – 72% increase
- Massachusetts – 39% increase
- Arkansas – 36% increase
- Montana – 35% increase
New Jersey again records the biggest spike in drunk-driving fatal crashes during Christmas week, with 85% more per day than a typical day. West Virginia and Massachusetts follow with the second and third-largest spikes. Across the country, 37% of fatal crashes involve alcohol during Christmas week, marking a clear seasonal rise. Both coastal and western states (Montana, Nevada, and Oregon) see notable increases around Christmas.
Which Days During the Holidays See the Most Drunk-Driving Crashes?
During Thanksgiving week, the Saturday after Thanksgiving sees the highest number of drunk-driving fatalities, averaging 38.4 fatal crashes per day. Thanksgiving Day itself follows closely with 36.2 fatal drunk driving crashes, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving records about 32.0. While Blackout Wednesday, also known as “Drinksgiving,” is understandably viewed as the riskiest night, it ranks just behind these days, with 31.8 crashes on average.
The pattern shifts slightly during Christmas week. December 23rd records the most drunk-driving fatalities, averaging 34.0 crashes per day, followed by Christmas Day with 33.6 and Christmas Eve with 32.2. Although these three days are nearly tied, Christmas Day stands out for having the highest share of alcohol-related fatal crashes, with 37% of all deadly crashes involving alcohol.
Which Time of Day Sees the Most Drunk-Driving Crashes During the Holidays?
The Two High-Risk Periods that Define the Thanksgiving Week:
- Late-night bar close (1–3 a.m.) – most dangerous stretch
- Evening hours (6 p.m.–12 a.m.) – second major danger zone
During Thanksgiving week, the deadliest hours for drunk-driving fatalities occur between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., with 72 crashes at 2 a.m. and 66 crashes at 1 a.m. Crashes rise again after 6 p.m., with 61 recorded at that hour and consistently high levels through midnight.
The Two High-Risk Periods that Define the Christmas Week:
- Midnight–3 a.m. – post-holiday party and bar close
- 8 p.m.–12 a.m. – holiday dinners, gatherings, and parties
During Christmas week, drunk-driving fatalities are most common between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., when 51 crashes occur, followed by 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. with 47 crashes. The 8–9 p.m. hour also sees elevated risk, averaging 42 crashes.
Drunk Driving Fatal Crashes During the Holidays Over the Last Decade
Over the past decade, drunk-driving fatalities during Thanksgiving week have climbed steadily. Between 2013 and 2023, alcohol-related crash deaths rose by 22% nationwide. After a brief decline in 2018 and 2019, fatal crashes surged again during the COVID years despite shutdowns, reaching 163 deaths in 2020 and peaking at 177 in 2021.
The trend is even more dramatic for Christmas week. Over the same 10-year period, drunk-driving fatalities increased by 264%, jumping from 36 in 2013 to 131 in 2023. Unlike Thanksgiving, which shows a gradual rise, Christmas crash totals have been much more volatile, fluctuating more sharply from year to year.
Since 2020, however, Christmas week fatalities have remained consistently high, with crash totals staying above 110 each year and averaging 123 per year during that stretch.
Closing Thoughts
The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: drunk driving crashes spike during the holidays. Whether it’s the long Thanksgiving weekend or the days leading up to Christmas, the combination of alcohol, travel, and celebration can lead to tragic outcomes on the road.
These findings serve as a reminder that many of these accidents are entirely preventable. Planning a sober ride, staying overnight, or using rideshare options can make the difference between a safe holiday and a devastating one. Even small choices can help keep families and communities safer during this busy time of year.
At Murphy & Prachthauser, we’ve seen firsthand how impaired driving can impact Wisconsin families. Our team of car accident lawyers works with victims and their loved ones to navigate recovery and accountability after serious crashes. By raising awareness through studies like this, we hope to encourage safer decisions and fewer preventable tragedies on the road.
Methodology
All drunk-driving crash data used in this study were collected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, accessed through the Crash Data Analysis and Statistics portal. The dataset includes alcohol-involved fatal crashes across all 50 states from 2019 through 2023, representing the most recent five years of available data.
For comparison, the analysis reviewed both holiday and non-holiday crash periods to determine percentage increases in alcohol-related fatalities. All figures were calculated using daily averages to ensure equal comparison across states and time frames.
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