Thanksgiving Accidents

The Thanksgiving holiday should be a time of relaxing, spending time with the family and celebration. Many auto accidents and other types of incidents happen more frequently on Thanksgiving. Drinking and driving statistics go up around the thanksgiving. More people hit the road during thanksgiving than any other holiday in the united states.

We will looks at some common thanksgiving accidents and in some cases what can be done to prevent such accidents from even occurring. These accidents can occur in your home, kitchen, backyard, or on the road. Auto accidents during Thanksgiving will be covered at a later date

Turkey fryer accidents

I’m not sure how many of you have had a fried turkey, but let me tell you it is much better than your grandmother’s baked turkey. Fried Turkey in my opinion is the only way to cook one. I have been frying turkeys for 20 years during Thanksgiving and for Christmas dinner. I can tell you from first hand experience you have to be careful. No, i have never burned anything down or caused a fire. I have had the oil catch on fire. Turkey fryers need the most respect of any cooking utensil you have in your arsenal. The biggest mistake I ever made was not thawing the turkey completely out before sliding it down in the pecan or peanut oil.

Turkey fryer accidents, while not the only accident in the kitchen, it is one of the most common. Deep frying a turkey is almost like a man cooking ribs on the grill, it’s an art. Usually cooked at 3.5 minutes per pound, it requires a lot of time and prep work to get it on the table before noon. Heating the peanut oil may take 20 minutes before it reaches the right temp.

I always calculate weight and get the time on my phone, set an alarm. We cook between 325-350 degrees, but when we are first putting it in, we raise the oil temp to 375-390 degrees. The temperature will drop rapidly while dropping the turkey in, when you finally get it all the way in, you might have lost 50 degrees or more. When the temperature drops below 325 it might take 10 minutes to get it back to where it needs to be.

Drop that turkey slowly

When you drop the turkey in you need to do it extremely slow. Pause your descent if you have to, the oil will start rising once it starts going in. make sure you have a long but strong fixture attached to the turkey so you your arms won’t get hot or burnt. Where turkey fryer gloves, they can withstand very high temps.

Once you have your turkey in the pot, put the lid on and keep it on. And for the next 45 minutes to an hour, you do nothing but watch the temperature gauge. Some People will take the lid off to check on progress, doing this lets the oil splash out and could cause a fire, don’t do it. Finally, it will be time to pull your prized bird out. Turn off the burner, and pull it out slowly. I usually let it sit over the pot a while to drain off the excess oil. Then it’s to the cutting board

Common mistakes when frying a Turkey

• Turkey not thawed completely (we take ours out 2 days before we plan to fry)
• Drop the turkey down in the oil too fast
• Oil level to high
• Not watching the temp
• Inattentive

At one time i have done all three of these and the results were not too good. When the oil level is too high, it has no place to go when the turkey gets dropped in. This will usually cause a fire. The oil will run down on top of the burner and light up. Don’t panic, turn the gas off and get back. If you drop the turkey in too fast, it will essentially boil over, causing a fire. If you try to fry a frozen or partially frozen turkey, it splatters and pops quite a bit. Not a good thing to do if you standing right next to it. It would be wise to have a plan in case of a fire. A water hose will not do much good in an oil fire.

Safety tips for frying your turkey on Thanksgiving

• Make sure to cook it in the open, away from your garage and house
• Don’t drink while cooking that bird
• Keep children away from your burner and the pot, adults only
• Always keep an eye on the temperature ( watch it like a hawk)
• Don’t not fill the oil above the fill line ( this fill line is just a guide, if you have a big bird, you need to use less oil)
• Lower the Turkey very slowly into the oil, even pausing if you have to
• Wear protective gloves
• Use a long utensil when lowering your turkey to avoid the heat
• Keep the propane tank as far away from the burner as the hose will allow
• Shut off the gas immediately if there is a fire
• In case of a fire, do not try and put it out with water, oil and water do not mix

Most Thanksgiving holidays are filled with great memories. Don’t make your Thanksgiving memory a bad one. Some Thanksgiving accidents do happen in the kitchen. Getting cut with a knife while carving that turkey or getting burned by a hot oven. Be careful this Thanksgiving season. Many people chose to drink during Thanksgiving and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you drink responsible. Frying your own Turkey for the thanksgiving feast is a great way to celebrate with friends and family, but be very careful, that turkey can come back and burn you when you least expect it. A fire safety guide can be found here.

Thanksgiving day Auto Accidents

Thanksgiving accidents on a national level are the highest of any other holiday. Last year 500 people died in a 4 day span during thanksgiving. 35% of these accidents where related to alcohol. This statistic astounds me. When I think of thanksgiving I think of family, turkey, and sleeping. I don’t think of drinking and driving.

Alcohol Related

I cant believe the percentage was this high when I started researching this. There is no doubt if 35% are alcohol related this number could be reduced this year. When you are with your family or friends this year for thanksgiving, be careful and responsible. Let’s make it to Christmas and the New Year.

States with the highest DUI rates around Thanksgiving

Alcohol can influence crashes around holidays such as Thanksgiving, since people tend to drink more during holiday celebrations. Alaska had only one fatal crash around Thanksgiving. It was due to drunk driving and accounted for all of its auto-related deaths.

South Dakota ranked second, with 50% of fatal car crashes linked to drunken driving. Iowa was ranked third, at 40%. In most of the states that ranked in the top 10, drunk driving was responsible for around a third of all traffic deaths the day before Thanksgiving, the day of and the night after.

• Alaska
• South Dakota
• Iowa
• Arkansas
• Louisiana
• Delaware
• Missouri
• New Mexico
• Washington
• South Carolina

Dangerous times on the road

Thanksgiving as with other Holidays are dangerous times to be on the road. It seems to be the highest day of travel for the United States. Whether it’s by air or car, we all can show a little more observance. Sometimes people can avoid accidents if they could think on their feet fast enough. Not that all accidents are avoidable. But some certainly are avoidable. Thanksgiving for a lot for people means family. I’m not sure where alcohol and drugs play a part.

Be careful if you travel this Holiday season. Don’t be a statistic. Eat some turkey; spend time with friends, family, and children. If you have to drink, be wise, don’t drive. I’m going to drink some wine, I’m sure. But I’m not going to drive. The number of Family’s hitting the road this Thanksgiving is expected to increase slightly from 2020.They will be taking shorter trips.

The reason is to save gas as household budgets get tight. AAA says Tuesday in its annual forecast that a stronger economy is needed to spur a bigger jump in holiday travel growth. AAA predicts 53 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home, this is the biggest increase since 2005. More people will travel, but they will go less distance. Gas prices are up and people are traveling more than they ever have this holiday.

The Deadliest States to Drive on Thanksgiving

Montana ranked first with 2.2 deaths per million residents on the day before Thanksgiving, the day following and the next day.

Two southern states also made the top five, Mississippi with 2.16 deaths per million residents and South Carolina with 2.07. Four of the ten states with the highest number of car accident fatalities were southern states (six if Missouri and Florida are considered southern states). Montana, Idaho, and New Mexico all ranked in the top 10. The number of road deaths is higher in states that have lower populations and higher speeds, as this is true for both these geographic regions.

STATES WITH MOST TRAFFIC DEATHS DURING THANKSGIVING DAY WEEK

• Montana
• Mississippi
• South Carolina
• Idaho
• New Mexico
• Alabama
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Florida
• Oklahoma

The Deadliest Days of Driving Around Thanksgiving

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the most deadly day for car accidents, with 570 fatalities recorded between 2016 and 2020. The day following Thanksgiving has the second highest number of fatalities (559), while Thanksgiving had 545 fatalities in total over this five-year span. The day after Thanksgiving had the most DUI-related crashes, with 559, while Thanksgiving itself had 545 total fatalities over this five-year period.

Be prepared for Traffic jams and car problems

Check your vehicle out before travel this Thanksgiving to ensure a trouble free journey. Things you may want to look out for include

• Battery
• Tires
• Fluid levels
• Etc

Make sure to have a safety kit in your car, this should include jumper cables.

Worst times’ to travel in some Popular metropolitan areas

Metro Area	Corridor	Peak Congestion	% Over Normal
Atlanta	I-85 S, Clairmont Rd to MLK Dr	Wed, 1:30 – 3:30PM	340%
Boston	I-93 N, Quincy Market to MA-28	Wed, 1:00 – 3:00PM	240%
Chicago	I-290 W, Morgan St to Wolfe Rd	Wed, 2:45 – 4:45PM	329%
Detroit	I-96 W, 6 Mile Rd to Walled Lake	Wed, 2:00 – 4:00PM	211%
Houston	I-10 W, Sjolander Rd to TX-330	Wed, 3:15 – 5:15PM	344%
Los Angeles	I-5 S, Colorado St to Florence Ave	Wed, 3:45 – 5:45PM	385%
New York	I-495 E, Borden Ave to Little Neck Pkwy	Wed, 2:30 – 4:30PM	482%
San Francisco	I-80 E, I-580 to San Pablo Dam Rd	Wed, 4:00 – 6:00PM	278%
Seattle	I-5 S, WA-18 to WA-7	Wed, 4:00 – 6:00PM	257%
Washington DC	I-95 S, I-395 to VA-123	Wed, 2:00 – 4:00PM	230%

Best time to travel during Thanksgiving

Daily Worst and Best Times to Travel
Day	Worst Time	Best Time
Wednesday	12:00 – 8:00PM	After 9:00PM
Thursday	12:00 – 3:00PM	Before 11:00AM
Friday	1:00 – 4:00PM	Before 11:00AM
Saturday	2:00 – 7:00PM	Before 12:00PM
Sunday	1:00 – 7:00PM	Before 12:00PM
Source: INRIX

The Deadliest Time to Drive Around Thanksgiving

When are the most car accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday? According to Thanksgiving traffic statistics, the majority of crashes occur between 4-9 pm.

This time period was responsible for 34.7% fatal accidents on the day before Thanksgiving. The same was true on Thanksgiving Day, when 33.3% all crashes occurred between 4 and 9 p.m. The second highest number of crashes occurred between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the night before the holiday. 24.3% of crashes happened at this time.

Keep your roads safe this Thanksgiving

The most dangerous days in 2022 for DUIs places Thanksgiving third, behind New Year’s Eve and Independence Day. Drivers must do all they can during the holidays to ensure their own and others’ safety.

Driving under the influence may seem harmless, but the costs are very high. First-time offenders can face fines up to $25,000. They may also be sentenced to prison and have their license suspended. Driving under the influence can increase your chances of being involved in a fatal accident, harming you, your family and other road users.

Even if you don’t face a serious consequence like a criminal conviction or a death, being involved in a car accident can still have negative effects. It will increase your auto insurance rate, making it difficult to get the lowest rates.

What can Americans do this Thanksgiving to ensure their safety on the road?

Avoid distractions

Recent research shows that the majority of Americans are distracted while driving. Your cell phone is the biggest distraction. Put it away when you are driving.

Never drink and Drive

You should not drive after drinking alcohol. Instead, use a designated driving service or ride-share.

Buckle up

Ensure that all children and adults are securely buckled up in the car, especially in rental vehicles.

Be aware

Be on the lookout and practice defensive driving. Take a second extra to check that no one is approaching at intersections.

Check the weather

Before you leave, check the weather forecast and ensure that your vehicle is in good condition. For drivers who need to react quickly in poor weather, having good brakes and tires is essential.