A new study reveals that New York is the safest state for Thanksgiving travel, but the state leads nation in pedestrian deaths.
An interesting study by Andrew Pickett Law names New York safest state for Thanksgiving travel but the study also says that the state leads nation in pedestrian deaths.
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The research team at personal injury law firm Andrew Pickett Law analyzed Thanksgiving traffic fatalities using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to rank the deadliest states for Thanksgiving travel from 2014 to 2023.
Key Findings:
New York ranks as the safest state nationally with 5.69 deaths in car crashes per one million residents during Thanksgiving—61.74% lower than the U.S. average of 14.88 fatalities.
The state recorded 115 total Thanksgiving fatalities over the past decade (2014-2023).
Despite being the safest state overall, New York leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities, with 31.7% of Thanksgiving deaths involving pedestrians—ranking 4th nationally.
48.3% of New York’s Thanksgiving fatalities were drivers, ranking the state 47th nationally for driver deaths.
The Northeast dominates the safest rankings, with five of the top 10 safest states located in the region: New York (1st), Massachusetts (2nd), Rhode Island (3rd), New Jersey (6th), and New Hampshire (7th).
Last year, the National Safety Council estimated 502 deaths on U.S. roads during the Thanksgiving holiday period, with 35% of fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver and approximately 57,200 nonfatal medically consulted injuries resulting from crashes.
Safest States for Thanksgiving Driving
Rank
State
Total Fatalities (2014-2023)
Fatalities Per 1M Residents
% Comparison to National Average
50
New York
115
5.69
61.74% lower
49
Massachusetts
41
5.83
60.81% lower
48
Rhode Island
7
6.38
57.12% lower
47
Minnesota
37
6.48
56.42% lower
46
Washington
68
8.83
40.68% lower
45
New Jersey
87
9.37
37.05% lower
44
New Hampshire
13
9.44
36.57% lower
43
Virginia
90
10.43
29.91% lower
42
Wisconsin
62
10.52
29.29% lower
41
Pennsylvania
137
10.54
29.18% lower
Percentage of Fatalities by Casualty Type in New York
Rank
Casualty Type
% of Total Fatalities
1
Driver
48.30%
2
Pedestrian
31.70%
3
Passenger
16.70%
4
Bicyclist
3.30%
The study also identified New York’s rankings in driver and pedestrian fatalities:
States with the Most Driver Fatalities
Rank
State
% of Driver Fatalities
41
New Jersey
52.3
42
Alaska
50.0
42
Hawaii
50.0
44
Oklahoma
49.4
45
California
49.3
46
New Mexico
48.9
47
New York
48.3
48
Washington
47.1
49
New Hampshire
46.2
50
Rhode Island
42.9
States with the Most Pedestrian Fatalities
Rank
State
% of Pedestrian Fatalities
1
Hawaii
42.9
1
Rhode Island
42.9
3
Washington
35.7
4
New York
31.7
5
Delaware
30.8
6
California
28.5
7
New Mexico
27.7
8
Oregon
27.6
9
Louisiana
27.2
10
Alaska
25.0
Andrew Pickett, personal injury lawyer and owner of Melbourne, Florida-based Andrew Pickett Law, commented:
“With millions of Americans on the road this holiday season, it’s more important than ever to prioritize safety. Simple steps like slowing down, staying alert, avoiding distractions, and never driving under the influence can make a real difference in preventing accidents and ensuring everyone gets home safely for Thanksgiving.”
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