The Hidden Dangers of Thanksgiving Travel: What New Jersey Drivers Need to Know

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By Michael Epstein, The Epstein Law Firm, P.A.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a warm, easy holiday. Family, food, football, maybe a nap if you’re lucky. But the roads tell a very different story. Every year, the days surrounding Thanksgiving are among the most dangerous for drivers in New Jersey and across the country. More cars on the road, more distractions, more fatigue, and more alcohol create a mix that can turn a simple trip into a life-changing event.

If you have to travel, a little extra care can make a very real difference.

Why Thanksgiving Weekend is Uniquely Risky

Most holidays bring heavier traffic, but Thanksgiving travel is its own category. People drive long distances at odd hours. College students rush home on Wednesday night. Families pile into SUVs at sunrise on Thursday. Black Friday traffic adds another surge. By Sunday afternoon, the highways look like slow-moving parking lots.

With all this comes predictable but serious risks:

Fatigue. Drivers push through long drives because they want to beat traffic or get home sooner. Fatigue slows reaction times and impairs judgment almost as much as alcohol.

Distraction. Cars packed with kids, luggage, pets, leftovers, and holiday stress mean people pay less attention to the road.

Impaired driving. Thanksgiving Eve is one of the heaviest drinking nights of the year. Police departments across New Jersey call it “Blackout Wednesday” for a reason. Even one drink changes your reaction time behind the wheel.

Weather. Late November brings early sunsets, wet roads, and the kind of quick temperature drops that can create black ice before you expect it.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

You can’t control every driver around you, but you can lower your risk. These are the basics that matter most.

Plan your trip like it matters. Because it does. Build in breaks, switch drivers if possible, and choose travel times that avoid the worst congestion.

Slow down. Speeding is the underlying factor in most holiday-weekend crashes. Leave earlier so you don’t feel pressure to push the limit.

Put the phone away. Even glancing at a text on a crowded highway is a recipe for a rear-end collision.

Watch the behavior of other drivers. Sudden lane changes, drifting, braking late, or wide turns are signs of impairment or distraction. Give those cars space.

What to Do If You’re in an Accident

This is the part most people get wrong, especially during hectic holiday traffic. If you’re involved in a crash on a busy road or highway, the first priority is safety.

Only stay in your vehicle if it is the safest option. If your car is disabled in a travel lane and you can’t move it, stay buckled and call 911 immediately.

If you can move the vehicle, get completely off the roadway. Not halfway on the shoulder. Not straddling lanes. Fully off the road whenever possible. Secondary crashes are incredibly common when a disabled vehicle is sitting near fast-moving traffic.

Turn on your hazards. Make yourself visible. In low-light conditions or bad weather, visibility can be the difference between safety and disaster.

Document the scene only when safe. Photos and videos are important, but never step into an active lane of traffic to get them.

Seek medical care even if you feel “fine.” Adrenaline masks injuries. Thanksgiving crash victims often discover days later that they’re dealing with concussions, whiplash, or internal injuries.

Why Taking Extra Care Matters

The simple truth is that no one plans for a holiday to be interrupted by an accident. I’ve represented too many people who were doing everything right when someone else’s bad choice changed their lives. The holidays amplify every risk. More drivers. More impairment. More stress. More weather.

A little more patience and awareness can prevent a crash or reduce the severity of one. That’s not an exaggeration. It’s what I see every year in cases that never needed to happen.

If you or someone you love is injured in a Thanksgiving-week crash, our team at The Epstein Law Firm is here to help you understand your rights and protect your future.