Thanksgiving is the most hazardous holiday weekend to be on the road in Texas. The Houston Chronicle, a partner of ABC13, analyzes data from the car insurance savings app Jerry to better understand traffic patterns.
In terms of fatalities in the United States, this four-day holiday (from Wednesday night to early Monday morning) ranks higher than Labor Day, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
Compared to the rest of the country, these figures must consider Texas’ massive size.
With so many people using the roads, keeping everyone’s driving habits in mind is essential.
According to the numbers, many of these collisions are caused by intoxicated or speeding drivers. Houston TranStar monitors more than a thousand cameras on the highways in our region, and they spoke with Eyewitness News about what they observe.
When asked how often people pull over to the side of the road when they experience automotive trouble, spokesperson Josh Shideler replied, “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen it.”
Then, “a distracted motorist, or an alcoholic driver, comes along and veers ever so slightly out of the lane that they are traveling in and runs into the rear of that disabled automobile.”
According to data compiled by TxDOT, of the 433 fatalities that occurred in Texas between December 1, 2020, and January 1, 2021, approximately 23 percent were the result of accidents involving impaired drivers.
Source: ABC 13 Eye Witness News