Texas Study Finds Triple the Fatal Crash Average in Thanksgiving's First Six Hours

Five years of records show 4.8 fatal crashes versus 1.6 during the same hours on nearby Thursdays. The full holiday average was lower.

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, November 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Texas recorded an average of 4.8 fatal crashes between midnight and 5:59 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day from 2020 through 2024, compared with 1.6 during the same hours on nearby Thursdays, according to a new report from Texas Truck Accident Lawyer.

That is three times the average crash count, not three times a driver's risk. The report did not measure how many trips people took or how far they drove. It cannot identify the safest departure time.

The finding comes ahead of Thanksgiving travel, when drivers may consider leaving after midnight to avoid traffic. Less traffic does not necessarily mean a safer trip. The analysis does not establish that tired drivers, alcohol or traffic volume caused the difference.

Read the full Texas Thanksgiving crash report for the charts, yearly results, source files and methods.

The full holiday told a different story

Across the entire holiday period, from Wednesday at 6 p.m. through Sunday at 11:59 p.m., the average number of fatal crashes was lower: 48.0 per Thanksgiving period versus 51.45 per comparison period.

Fatal crashes involving a large truck also had a lower full holiday average, at 6.2 versus 7.9. Those figures do not show who caused a crash. The early Thursday finding covers all fatal crashes, not just crashes involving trucks.

The difference between the overnight result and the full holiday result matters. One part of the holiday should not be used to describe the whole trip, including the journey home. Neither comparison proves that Thanksgiving travel is safer or more dangerous per mile.

Why 24 crashes became an average of 4.8

The analysis counted 24 fatal crashes across five Thanksgiving mornings and 32 across 20 comparison mornings. For each year, it used the same hours on the two Thursdays before Thanksgiving and the two Thursdays after it. Dividing by the number of mornings produced the 4.8 and 1.6 averages.

The early Thursday result was selected after examining all 17 six hour blocks in the holiday period. It is a pattern found in historical records, not a prediction for this Thanksgiving. The numbers were small, and the report does not establish whether the difference was more than chance.

The study uses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. It counts crashes in which someone died, not crashes involving only injuries or property damage. The 2020 through 2023 files are final. The 2024 file may be revised.

For travelers, the practical message is to plan around a rested, sober driver rather than traffic alone. Plan a safe place to stop if the driver becomes tired, consider an overnight stay and check current road conditions before both the outbound and return trips.

The full report publishes every time block, not only the largest difference. Readers and journalists can download the data, charts and reproduction files, along with a plain text version and recommended citation.

About Texas Truck Accident Lawyer

Texas Truck Accident Lawyer publishes information about truck accidents, road safety and the legal questions that can follow a crash. Its Thanksgiving report is available free on its website.

Texas Truck Accident Lawyer
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