Make It to the Table: This Thanksgiving Eve, Don’t Drink and Drive

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is a cultural phenomenon called “Thanksgiving Eve,” an evening associated with drinking and a big night for bars. From 2012 to 2016, more than 800 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period (6:00 p.m. Wednesday to 5:59 a.m. Monday), making it the deadliest holiday on our roads. In 2014, 9,967 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver, or 31 percent of the total traffic fatalities. The estimated economic cost of alcohol impaired driving crashes is $44 billion, making it not only one of the deadliest traffic issues, but also one of the costliest.