New Data from Progressive Insurance Shows Spike in Thanksgiving Week Wrecks
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Progressive claims data gives insight on top types of claims and the safest time to travel home after the holiday
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OH -- November 23, 2015: Thanksgiving is recognized as one of the most heavily traveled holidays, with festivities both before and after the turkey is carved. As families prepare to hit the road this Thanksgiving week, new data from Progressive Insurance offers drivers a leg up on potential accident risks from the day before Thanksgiving (known as Black Wednesday) through Cyber Monday.
The Thanksgiving week fender bender timeline
Progressive pulled claims data from the week of Thanksgiving, dating back to 2010. When compared to the data from the two weeks before and two weeks after the holiday week, Thanksgiving week stood out, showing a jump in claims at some significant times for consumers. Findings included:
Black Wednesday1 accidents increased by 25 percent
The biggest jumps took place in Texas (40%), Ohio (32%) and New York (29%)
Nearly six in 10 single vehicle accidents (58.5%) on Black Wednesday involved striking an animal or object
Thanksgiving night2 accidents increased by 20 percent
35 percent of accident claims involved only one vehicle
A large chunk of the accidents (31%) were backing or parking-related, perhaps indicating that shoppers were getting a head start on the midnight Black Friday sales
Black Friday3 accidents increased by 34 percent
The trend from Thanksgiving night continued, with the data showing that 31 percent of claims on Black Friday were backing or parking-related, more than any other claim type filed on that day
The Sunday after Thanksgiving has the highest percentage of out-of-state accidents of any day in the holiday week
Out-of-state accidents are most likely to occur in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and North Carolina.
Drivers from Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas are most likely to file out-of-state accident claims.
Tips for staying safe, from start to finish
Given the large increase in single car accidents on Wednesday and Thursday night, Progressive offers the following tips:
With the large jump in animal and objects struck on the road, try to keep a closer eye than usual on the street in front of you.
If you go out on Black Wednesday, be sure to get a designated driver. It’s the safest way to make sure you get home safe and sound. If you’re the designated driver, take a little extra caution as you get everyone home.
If you don’t have a designated driver, get a cab or professional to drive you home. Driving is their job, so they know the roads and are used to traveling at high-traffic times.
Parking lots can be a madhouse on Black Friday. Based on its claims data, Progressive suggests taking the following steps to keep everyone safe, and even avoid common causes of parking lot dings and dents:
Avoid spaces beside cars parked at an angle. You may even consider steering clear of parking at the end of an aisle given the additional exposure from vehicles turning.
Park farther from store entrances, where it’s generally less crowded, to prevent dings and scratches from car doors or shopping carts.
Use your eyes and mirrors — and ask your passengers to look around, too—to make sure your path is clear before you pull or back out of a parking space. This way, it’s easier to avoid cars that are speeding, cutting across the lot or pulling out of parking spaces.
Finally, if you’re traveling out of state or driving a long distance home, the data shows that there are much safer times to hit the road than Sunday.
Monday is the safest time to head home after the holidays with 37 percent fewer accidents compared to the popular travel day of the Sunday following Thanksgiving.
Even Saturday is a safer time to travel, with 17 percent fewer accidents compared to Sunday.
