The National Safety Council estimates 433 road fatalities during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend and offers driver safety advice.
by Staff
November 20, 2015
NSC is urging drivers to stay alert and drive defensively during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.
2 min to read
NSC is urging drivers to stay alert and drive defensively during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.
The National Safety Council estimates that 433 people will be killed and another 52,300 will be seriously injured in car crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
The holiday period begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29. The long holiday weekend falls near the end of what NSC estimates has been a particularly deadly year on the roads. Preliminary NSC estimates indicate traffic deaths are up 10 percent through the first nine months of 2015, compared with the same time period in 2014.
Ad Loading...
“Each Thanksgiving, we begin another holiday season while remembering all we are grateful for,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “But do not let the frenetic pace of the season rush you on the roads. Be alert and drive defensively so you can celebrate at home, not sit in the emergency room.”
NSC also reminds all drivers and passengers to buckle up for every trip, every time – even when traveling a short distance.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 87 percent of vehicle occupants wear seat belts. The 13 percent of drivers and passengers who do not buckle up accounted for 44.7 percent of fatalities in 2013, according to NHTSA. NSC estimates 164 lives may be saved this Thanksgiving holiday because of seat belts.
Other NSC tips to ensure a safer Thanksgiving holiday include:
Designate an alcohol- and drug-free driver or arrange alternate transportation.
Get plenty of sleep and take regular breaks to avoid fatigue.
Don’t allow teens to drive with their friends. A single young passenger can increase a teen driver’s fatal crash risk 44 percent.
Learn about your vehicle’s safety systems and how to use them. My Car Does What can help drivers understand the ins and outs of features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning systems and backup cameras.
Ad Loading...
Supplemental traffic fatality estimates information can be found here.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.
