An official website of the United States government.
U.S. Holidays
Please click on a CAPS Study or NHTSA link for more information.
Holiday |
CAPS Study |
NHTSA Message |
Dates |
| Super Bowl LVI | Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk | February 13, 2022 | |
| St. Patrick’s Day | Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over | March 17, 2019 | |
| Fourth of July | Independence Day Brings More Traffic Fatalities | Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over | July 4, 2019 |
| Halloween | Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving | October 31, 2019 | |
| Thanksgiving | Analysis of Thanksgiving Week Crashes in Alabama
Special Study of Thanksgiving Week Crashes |
Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. | November 27-31, 2019 |
| Winter Holidays | Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over | December 11, 2018 – January 1, 2019 | |
| Labor Day | September 7, 2020 | ||
| End-of-Year Holiday Season | Traffic Safety Facts to Help Your Family Survive this Year’s Holiday Season (HS) | November 2021 |
Holiday Driving Tips
- Practice Defensive Driving:
- Maintain a distance between your vehicle and other vehicles. (Eg: Avoid tailgating)
- Avoid the blind spots of large trucks
- Allow aggressive drivers to pass
- Reduce Speed: Determine to drive the speed limit. Even a 5 MPH reduction can make a big difference because cruising speed is the greatest determinant of impact speed. Do not wait for an emergency to slow down. An extra 5 mph in speed, according to most GPS systems, only shaves a few minutes off a trips time, but it be the difference between a severe injury and a fatality.
- Use Restraints: Restraint use is the number one defense against becoming a fatality victim. Drivers and passengers should always use safety restraints regardless of trip length. Very few passengers who are properly restrained suffer life-threatening injuries at reasonable speeds.
- Avoid Impaired Driving: Have no tolerance at all for impaired driving. Do not drive impaired, and do not ride with anyone who has had any alcohol or drug use at all, including many prescription drugs. Avoid the late-night and early morning hours since this is when impaired driving is at a peak, and you are most likely to be involved by an ID driver.
- Anticipate & Avoid Environmental Factors:
- Darkness: In general, CAPS research has found crashes can increase by as much as 40 percent in wet weather. Leave early enough so that you accomplish most of your driving in the daylight.
- Weather: Anticipate and avoid bad weather, especially when coupled with darkness. If caught in a heavy storm, take a break from driving until the shower passes.
- Deer: Slow down and be particularly watchful for deer if traveling just after dark, especially in areas where deer are protected and in new road construction areas where rye grass has been planted as a cover on re-worked shoulders and roadsides.
- Travel on the Holiday: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days during the daylight hours are the best times to avoid potential crashes. Avoid all electronic distractions by delegating all cell phone use to passengers. This has clearly become one of the major causes of crashes over the past five years.
Thanksgiving Week 2018: Best & Worst Times to Travel
DayBest Times* to TravelWorst Times to Travel**
| Monday | Before 6AM or After 8PM** | 6AM until 8PM |
| Tuesday | Before 7AM or After 8PM** | 7AM until 10PM |
| Wednesday | Before 7AM or After 8PM** | 7AM until 8PM |
| Thursday | Before 3PM | 3PM until 10PM |
| Friday | Before 11AM | 11AM until 8PM |
| Saturday | Before 11AM | After 11AM |
| Sunday | Before 10AM | 10AM until 9PM |
*Times given are exact times of day (not their “hours”).
**Late night and very early morning hours should always be avoided because of increased Impaired and Drowsy Driving risks, especially in holiday periods.