Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with millions of people driving to visit family and friends. It’s also one of the periods with the highest levels of distracted driving.

A new CMT analysis reveals a significant increase in distracted driving throughout Thanksgiving week. It peaks on Thanksgiving Day, with distraction hitting 18% higher rates than the typical Thursday in November. Speeding skyrockets 100%.

These elevated levels of distracted driving, even for one day, will cause hundreds of additional crashes and injuries.

But Thanksgiving isn’t the only day that sees elevated distraction levels — it increases throughout the week. 

Higher levels of distraction start on Monday and Tuesday, with 1.5% and 2.9% increases. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a busy travel day and sees a 7% rise in distraction. Distraction peaks on Thanksgiving Day and remains high at 9% on Black Friday. By Saturday and Sunday, distraction levels gradually return to normal.

To conduct this analysis, we looked at each day throughout Thanksgiving week and compared it to the same days two weeks before and after the holiday. This methodology allows us to isolate each day’s unique distraction and speeding signatures.

On Thanksgiving Day, distracted driving is alarmingly high throughout the day. Early morning hours between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. see the lowest distraction rates of the day, with an average 7.3% increase. 

Distraction climbs as the morning progresses. It peaks at 11:00 a.m., when distraction is 30% higher than other Thursdays at an average of 2 minutes and 36 seconds per hour. From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., distraction is over 20% higher than other Thursdays.

Distraction risk continues through the afternoon but lowers slightly from 1:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m., and falls sharply from 23.5% to 5% from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. These drops align with the average Thanksgiving dinner time, which surveys show to be from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and potentially the post-turkey slump.

Thanksgiving Day is one of the riskiest days to be on the road all year. Understanding road risk patterns can help drivers make smarter choices about when to travel, so everyone can reach their holiday destinations safely. Early morning travel offers a window of lower distraction, while midday travel carries higher risks due to increased phone use and speeding.

This Thanksgiving, it’s crucial to stay focused, avoid distractions, and keep speeding in check. Safe travels, and happy Thanksgiving.