By Soo KimShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberMississippi has been ranked as the deadliest state for driving during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to a new study.
Thanksgiving is not only one of the busiest travel periods of the year in the United States, but it can also be one of the most dangerous.
New analysis by researchers at the personal injury law firm Andrew Pickett Law looked at fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2014 to 2023. It determined which states had the highest number of deaths per capita during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
According to the study, Mississippi tops the list as the most lethal state for Thanksgiving driving, recording 33.77 deaths per 1 million residents during the decade-long review. That figure is 127 percent higher than the national average of 14.88 fatalities per million.
Southern states dominated the highest rankings. Alabama came in second place, with 25.87 deaths per 1 million residents, a rate that is 74 percent higher than the U.S. national average.
South Carolina followed closely in third place, with 25.59 fatalities per 1 million, or 72 percent above the national average.
Louisiana came fourth, recording 25.12 deaths per 1 million residents, which is 68.84 percent higher than the average.
South Dakota rounds out the top five, with 24.81 fatalities per 1 million residents, 66.78 percent higher than the national rate.
“With millions of Americans on the road this holiday season, it’s more important than ever to prioritize safety,” Andrew Pickett, founder of the Florida-based firm, said in a statement on the study. “Simple steps like slowing down, staying alert, avoiding distractions, and never driving under the influence can make a real difference in preventing accidents and ensuring everyone gets home safely for Thanksgiving.”
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), at least 73 million people are expected to travel by car during the Thanksgiving travel period from November 25 to December 1. That’s nearly 90 percent of all Thanksgiving travelers, and 1.3 million more than last year. The figure could climb even higher if some air travelers opt to drive due to flight cancellations.
Last year, AAA responded to nearly 600,000 emergency roadside calls over the Thanksgiving period, helping stranded drivers with dead batteries, flat tires, and empty fuel tanks.
According to the AAA, the NHTSA reports that 868 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes during Thanksgiving celebrations from 2019 to 2023, accounting for 35 percent of all traffic fatalities over that period.
Top 10 Deadliest States for Thanksgiving Driving
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- Louisiana
- South Dakota
- Montana
- New Mexico
- Florida
- Missouri
- Wyoming
Source: Based on a study by Andrew Pickett Law, a personal injury law firm, which analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data on fatal crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period from 2014 to 2023.
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