Safety on the Roads
Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, especially for many college students. You’re back from school, ready to reconnect with hometown friends for the break. You may head out to bars or enjoy small get-togethers to catch up. Many of these functions involve alcohol, and drinking is different at home than it is on campus. You and your friends’ respective houses are typically not within walking distance from your meetup location, so the festivities may require transportation. Driving during the Thanksgiving break can be dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 2019 and 2023, over one-third of all Thanksgiving-break traffic deaths were caused by drunk driving. Furthermore, young drivers (ages 21-34) had the highest rate of involvement in fatal drunk-driving accidents during Thanksgiving 2023.1 Here are some things you can do to keep yourself and your friends safe this November break:
Limit your time on the road
If possible, try to limit your time on the road during the nights of Thanksgiving break. Even if you don’t drink, others will, and they are most likely to be driving home from bars or parties late into the evening. Try to keep festivities local. If possible, invite friends over to your house early and invite them to stay the night.
Prepare rideshare plans early
If you go out, whether to a bar, party, or friend’s house where you’ll be drinking, it is always a good idea to utilize a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft. These apps offer a “pre-order” service, where you can select a location and time in the future to be picked up by a driver. This is a great option if you don’t want to worry about a ride home while you’re out—you can enjoy yourself knowing that someone will be available to pick you up at a time you choose. Ridesharing apps allow you to drink alcohol without needing to plan a ride from a sober friend or family member.
Designate a sober driver
If you don’t use a rideshare app, designate a sober friend at your get-together who will be able to drive everyone home. Maybe you have a friend that doesn’t drink, or maybe someone in the group wouldn’t mind abstaining from alcohol for the night—either way, your designated driver should remain completely sober.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Never get behind the wheel after drinking or in the car with someone who is drinking, no matter how little alcohol you or they may have consumed. If you have no way to get home, call a family member. They want you to stay safe and would much rather get a call in the middle of the night from you asking for a ride than from a police officer informing them you have been injured or killed in a car accident. If your family members aren’t available, ask a bartender or other sober adult for help getting home safely. Everyone will be glad you reached out instead of driving drunk.