National Safety Council Predicts Record-Breaking Number of Traffic Fatalities
Given the expanding COVID-19 restrictions in Indiana and Illinois, as well as many other parts of the country, some may assume with less traffic on the roads there is a lower risk of a serious or deadly auto accident or semi-truck crash today. Contrary to this assumption, the danger of a fatal motor vehicle collision is higher this year than it has been in years past. Read, Coronavirus and Fatal Car Crashes: Fatality Rates Jump Despite Emptier Roads.
The increased risk of a fatal crash is especially high as we enter into the 2020 Fall Holiday Season, with Thanksgiving in the United States officially beginning on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, and extending until midnight on Sunday, November 29, 2020.
Danger of Deadly Crash during Thanksgiving Travel
The Department of Transportation (DOT) explains Thanksgiving is a particularly high risk time of year to be driving on our roadways. Even during Coronavirus restrictions, Thanksgiving is expected to be one of the “busiest travel times of the year.”
Unfortunately, the more traffic over this holiday weekend serves to increase the likelihood of a fatal crash with one or more accident victims dying as a result of their injuries. Of particular concern are those who are driving after dark, when people are less likely to be wearing safety belts. DOT warns that over the 2017 Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes at night were unbuckled, compared to 40% during the day.
AAA Predicts Fewer People Traveling Over 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday
Researchers at AAA Travel are predicting less people will be driving our roads over the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday not only because of the Coronavirus Pandemic but also because of cost concerns given the nation’s higher unemployment this year. AAA is forecasting a 10% drop in Thanksgiving traffic this year, “the largest one-year decrease since the Great Recession in 2008.”
How many people will take to the roads this upcoming holiday weekend is unclear. AAA suggests that some families and friends may be waiting until the last minute to make the call on whether or not to drive for a holiday gathering.
From AAA Travel senior vice president Paula Twidale:
“The wait-and-see travel trend continues to impact final travel decisions, especially for the Thanksgiving holiday. The decision to travel is a personal one. For those who are considering making a trip, the majority will go by car, which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day of departure.”
Even with AAA’s prediction of less people on the roads it remains that millions – as many as 50,000,000 people — are expected to travel over the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Many of these travelers will be driving to their destinations in their family car, truck, SUV, or minivan.
NSC: May Be the Deadliest Thanksgiving Since 2008
In fact, the safety advocates at Illinois’ internationally respected National Safety Council (NSC) are warning the public that the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday may be the “deadliest Thanksgiving since 2008.”
From NSC president and CEO Lorraine M. Martin:
“We’ve noted several times this year that open roads should not be an open invitation for reckless driving. We urge drivers to remain vigilant about their own safety if they decide to travel. If every driver would slow down, buckle up, drive sober and pay attention, we could have a holiday of zero fatalities, which is the only acceptable number.”
2020 Thanksgiving Restrictions in Illinois and Indiana
Coronavirus restrictions exist at the national, state, county, and municipal levels in our part of the country. AAA offers a map that provides an up-to-date itemization of various COVID restrictions, including “reopening with mask requirements” for Indiana and Illinois as well as city-wide restrictions for the Chicago metropolitan area.
Indiana Thanksgiving Restrictions
There are no government restrictions on travel over the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend in the State of Indiana. However, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warns Hoosiers of the risk of a fatal crash during Thanksgiving Holiday travel, as well as pointing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for Traveling during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Illinois Thanksgiving Travel Restrictions
Statewide, there is no government restriction on travel over the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday In Illinois. However, the City of Chicago has imposed its own municipal restriction in the face of rising COVID cases in its area.
Read the complete City of Chicago Emergency Travel Order here.
Chicago Travel Restrictions
Anyone driving into Chicago from a “red” state (including Indiana as well as Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the Windy City. This is true even if they test negative for the Coronavirus. Anyone traveling to Chicago from an “orange” state (all other states except the “red” states, Maine, and Vermont) has to choose between either 14 day quarantine or providing proof of a negative COVID test result upon arrival in Chicago.
Reckless Driving During the Pandemic Increases Thanksgiving Travel Risk
Many of the serious or fatal motor vehicle accidents in Indiana and Illinois over the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend will be the result of reckless driving on the part of a driver who may or may not survive the crash or be severely injured.
Drivers Impaired by Alcohol or Drugs
A well-known factor in any holiday fatality traffic study involves the likelihood of a driver being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. The NSC points out alcoholic beverages are a “major factor in fatal crashes during holiday weekends, including Thanksgiving.”
The NSC’s latest Thanksgiving fatality data reveals that almost a third (31%) of fatal crashes during the Thanksgiving Holiday involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
Drivers Driving at Illegally High Speeds
Reckless driving as someone drives their vehicle after drinking alcohol (or taking drugs) must be a consideration for anyone on the roads of Indiana and Illinois the next few days. However, reckless driving may also involve speeding.
During the 2020 Pandemic, less traffic on our roads has caused many drivers to choose to ignore speed limits and drive at very high speeds. See, “Reckless Driving on the Rise during COVID-19 Pandemic,” written by Robert Preidt and published by US News & World Report on April 23, 2020.
Serious or Fatal Crash over the Thanksgiving Holiday in Indiana or Illinois
Sadly, tragedies will occur over the 2020 Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend here in our part of the country. Holiday festivities will terminate in a serious or fatal motor vehicle accident involving one or more family members or loved ones.
As with any serious or fatal crash, there are laws on the books of both the states of Indiana and Illinois that provide avenues for justice in the aftermath of these accidents. Each case must be given individual consideration and respect to determine the scope of legal liability involved. In some instances, there may be several defendants who may be held accountable for the consequences of their actions (as for example, the serving of alcohol to someone who later drove impaired and caused a fatal crash).
For more, see:
- Road Safety Rankings for Illinois and Indiana: the Danger of a Fatal Crash in Our Part of the Country
- Drugged Drivers Cause More Fatal Crashes in Indiana than Drunk Drivers: New Indiana University Study
- Night Driving: Danger of Fatal Crash While Driving After Dark
- Speeding Kills: Driving Over the Speed Limit Still Causes Too Many Fatal Crashes in Indiana and Illinois.
In these trying times, a festive and happy Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend will be most welcome to us all. Sadly, we must celebrate this American Holiday in the face of a higher risk of harm than in past years. Please be careful out there!
