ATLANTA — Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel weeks in the country. And last year, numbers show it was one of the most dangerous.
”So we have a lot of cars on the road, and they are not always doing the right thing,” GDOT Spokesperson Natalie Dale said.
According to 2023 data, obtained by Channel 2′s Michael Doudna, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving saw more than 1,500 crashes, making it the worst day for accidents last year.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Dale says the numbers reflect a trend from the past decade.
”What the numbers show is in the days leading up to Thanksgiving have increased crashes,” Dale said. “Alarmingly, fatalities for at least the past 10 years spike around Wednesday and Thursday.”
According to 2023 data, the deadliest day on Georgia roads was on Thanksgiving, when 16 people died.
Dale says the number of crashes earlier in the week reflects a mixture of commuters and holiday travelers.
”We have so many boxes we are checking, and everyone is going full speed ahead,” Dale said. “There is so much going on that we really forget the basics of being a responsible driver on the road.”
According to GDOT data, the number of accidents drops on Thanksgiving before increasing over the week, as traffic is often light.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Thanksgiving forecast: Chance for isolated strong to severe storms in north Georgia
- New HOA president puts stop to $29K assessment given to each homeowner in Henry County neighborhood
- Man sues city of Atlanta after getting water bill for more than $50,000
However, the high fatality numbers often indicate that drivers are speeding, impaired, or distracted.
And unfortunately, holiday crashes can involve packed cars of family members driving from home to home. So when a crash happens, there can be a higher number of fatalities.
A Colquitt County crash during this time period in 2023 saw five people killed.
”It is hard to lose a life any day of the year, but there is certainly an extra level to it around the holidays when you are missing someone at the table,” Dale said.
Dale says drivers need to be responsible and practice good, safe driving habits. The goal is to make sure everyone is home for the holidays.
Triple Team Traffic’s Mike Shields will have live traffic reports to get you ready for the holiday travel, on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2024 Cox Media Group
