Poynter & Bucheri, an Indianapolis injury law firm, checked the "Thanksgiving Eve is the worst night to drive" claim against federal NHTSA fatal-crash data (2019-2024) and 10 years of IMPD crash reports from the City of Indianapolis Vision Zero crash layer (2016-2025). Nationwide, 703 people died in crashes on the day before Thanksgiving, about 19% more than a typical Wednesday. In Indiana and Indianapolis the picture is mixed: Indiana had 10 deaths against about 12 expected, and Indianapolis crashes beat a normal fall Wednesday in 5 of 10 years.
You've probably heard Thanksgiving Eve called "the worst night of the year" to be on the road. We wanted to know if that holds up.
Key findings: Thanksgiving Eve crashes in Indiana
- From 2019 through 2024, 703 people died in U.S. crashes on the day before Thanksgiving (full calendar day), about 19% more than the roughly 588 expected from other Wednesdays of the same years (NHTSA FARS).
- Of those 703 U.S. Thanksgiving Eve deaths from 2019 through 2024, 267 came between 6 p.m. and midnight.
- In Indiana, FARS counts 10 crash deaths on Thanksgiving Eve from 2019 through 2024, against about 12 expected, so there was no sign of a spike on the Wednesday itself.
- In Indianapolis, IMPD reported 823 crashes on Thanksgiving Eve from 2016 through 2025, against about 702 expected from other October-December Wednesdays. Thanksgiving Eve was above that baseline in 5 of 10 years (2016, 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025).
- One day, Nov. 23, 2016, accounts for about 116 of the 121 extra Indianapolis Thanksgiving Eve crashes from 2016 through 2025: IMPD reported 195 crashes in all-day rain and fog, more than twice a normal fall Wednesday (about 79).
- Over the six Thanksgiving weekends from 2019 through 2024 (Wednesday 6 p.m. through Sunday 11:59 p.m., about 4.25 days), 49 people died in Indiana crashes, about 8 a year (NHTSA FARS).
- IMPD averaged about 36 crashes on Thanksgiving Day itself from 2016 through 2025, roughly half a normal fall Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Are there more crash deaths on Thanksgiving Eve nationwide?
Across the U.S., from 2019 through 2024, 703 people died in crashes on the day before Thanksgiving, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). That's the full calendar day, not just the night: 267 of those deaths came between 6 p.m. and midnight. To compare, we used every other Wednesday of the same year, all year round. Those averaged about 98 deaths a day, and six of them add up to about 588. So Thanksgiving Eve ran about 19% higher (19.5%).
Is Thanksgiving Eve deadlier in Indiana?
Indiana's numbers are small enough that one crash moves them. From 2019 through 2024, FARS counts 10 deaths in Indiana on Thanksgiving Eve. That's the full calendar day. A typical Wednesday in those years (all other Wednesdays of the same year) would add up to about 12. So there's no sign of a spike on the Wednesday itself.
Table 1. U.S. and Indiana crash deaths on Thanksgiving Eve (full calendar day), 2019-2024, compared with the average of other Wednesdays of the same year. Source: NHTSA FARS; 2024 is the Annual Report File.
| Year | Date | U.S. deaths | U.S. expected | Indiana deaths | Indiana expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2019-11-27 | 105 | 88.39 | 1 | 1.96 |
| 2020 | 2020-11-25 | 143 | 94.85 | 3 | 1.96 |
| 2021 | 2021-11-24 | 96 | 102.04 | 1 | 1.80 |
| 2022 | 2022-11-23 | 130 | 105.14 | 1 | 2.37 |
| 2023 | 2023-11-22 | 117 | 100.22 | 3 | 2.12 |
| 2024 | 2024-11-27 | 112 | 97.75 | 1 | 2.02 |
| Total | 703 | 588.4 | 10 | 12.2 |
The national comparison uses every other Wednesday of the year, including quieter winter and spring days. Other November Wednesdays already average about 106 U.S. deaths, versus about 98 on a year-round Wednesday, so a November-only comparison cuts the six-year gap from about 19% to about 10%. Some of the headline difference may come from November darkness, weather and holiday travel, which this study can't separate.
Does Indianapolis have more crashes on Thanksgiving Eve?
IMPD reported 823 crashes on Thanksgiving Eve from 2016 through 2025, compared with about 702 if each of those Wednesdays had been an average October-to-December Wednesday of the same year. That's a different baseline from the national one. The national one uses Wednesdays from the whole year. Thanksgiving Eve came in above that fall baseline in 5 of the 10 years: 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
2016 wasn't the only spike. In 2020, IMPD reported 108 crashes on Thanksgiving Eve, against about 70 on a normal fall Wednesday that year. Take 2016 out, and the other nine Thanksgiving Eves came to 628 crashes against an expected 623, close to even as a total, even though some single years ran well above normal.
In Indianapolis, Thanksgiving Eve evenings (5 p.m. to midnight) were busier than a normal Wednesday evening in 4 of the 10 years: 2016, 2020, 2024 and 2025. The last two were close calls: 23 crashes versus about 20 expected in 2024, and 20 versus about 16 in 2025.
Thanksgiving Day itself is quiet. IMPD averaged about 36 crashes on Thanksgiving Day, roughly half a normal fall Wednesday.
Table 2. IMPD-reported crashes in Indianapolis on Thanksgiving Eve vs. the average of other October-December Wednesdays of the same year, 2016-2025, with the 5 p.m.-midnight count and Thanksgiving Day. Source: City of Indianapolis DPW Vision Zero crash layer. Injury counts are left out because the 2025 injury field is incomplete.
| Year | Date | Crashes on Thanksgiving Eve | Expected (other Oct-Dec Wednesdays) | 5 p.m.-midnight | Expected 5 p.m.-midnight | Thanksgiving Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2016-11-23 | 195 | 78.7 | 61 | 26.1 | 37 |
| 2017 | 2017-11-22 | 69 | 82.1 | 18 | 24.6 | 28 |
| 2018 | 2018-11-21 | 81 | 82.6 | 25 | 26.0 | 45 |
| 2019 | 2019-11-27 | 59 | 69.6 | 20 | 22.5 | 36 |
| 2020 | 2020-11-25 | 108 | 69.6 | 41 | 21.8 | 24 |
| 2021 | 2021-11-24 | 64 | 81.2 | 25 | 27.0 | 43 |
| 2022 | 2022-11-23 | 78 | 71.7 | 23 | 24.4 | 44 |
| 2023 | 2023-11-22 | 46 | 51.5 | 13 | 14.3 | 36 |
| 2024 | 2024-11-27 | 62 | 61.0 | 23 | 19.8 | 28 |
| 2025 | 2025-11-26 | 61 | 54.0 | 20 | 15.8 | 37 |
| Total | 823 | 702.0 | 358 |
What happened on Nov. 23, 2016?
Nearly all of the ten-year gap (about 116 of 121 extra crashes) comes from one day. On Nov. 23, 2016, IMPD reported 195 crashes, more than twice a normal Wednesday that fall (about 79). The crashes were spread through the day: 61 of the 195 came between 5 p.m. and midnight, and 78 were rear-end crashes (IMPD-reported crashes only; the normal 5 p.m.-midnight count on a fall Wednesday that year was about 26). It rained all day, with fog and 0.63 inches of rain at the airport, and the low was 38 degrees, so it stayed above freezing (National Weather Service). We can't say the weather alone caused the jump. The ice-storm pileups reported in local news that year came later, on Dec. 16-17, 2016.
How many people die on Indiana roads over Thanksgiving weekend?
From 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday night, 49 people died in Indiana crashes over the six Thanksgiving weekends from 2019 through 2024 (FARS). That's about 8 a year, over a stretch of about four and a quarter days (Wednesday 6 p.m. through Sunday 11:59 p.m.).
Thanksgiving Eve driving tips for Indianapolis
The day before Thanksgiving may not be the monster it's made out to be in Indianapolis. On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the sun sets at 5:23 p.m., and civil twilight ends at 5:52 p.m. (U.S. Naval Observatory). And the weekend that follows is deadly: 49 people died on Indiana roads over the six Thanksgiving weekends from 2019 through 2024 (NHTSA FARS). Here's what I'd tell you:
- Leave early so you're not rushing.
- If you're going out Wednesday night, figure out your ride home before the first drink.
- Put the phone away. The directions will still be there at the next stop.
If someone else's driving hurt you over the holiday, get checked out, keep your paperwork, and get your Indiana crash report. If you have questions, give us a call at (317) 780-8000 or read about car accident cases.
Methodology: how we measured Thanksgiving Eve crashes
- Fatal crashes: NHTSA FARS national crash files, 2019-2024, using the date, hour, state and death count for each fatal crash. "Thanksgiving Eve" is the Wednesday before the fourth Thursday of November: 2019-11-27, 2020-11-25, 2021-11-24, 2022-11-23, 2023-11-22 and 2024-11-27. We counted the full calendar day and compared it with the average of every other Wednesday in the same year, year-round. The weekend window runs from 6 p.m. Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. 2024 figures are from the FARS Annual Report File (see NHTSA's 2024 overview) and may still change when NHTSA posts the Final File.
- All crashes: the City of Indianapolis DPW Vision Zero crash layer, which covers IMPD-reported crashes taken from ARIES, the state crash system, 2016-2025. Times were converted to Indianapolis local time. The baseline is the average of the other Wednesdays from October through December of the same year, leaving out Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
- Sunset and weather: U.S. Naval Observatory sun data for Indianapolis, Nov. 25, 2026 (https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/RS_OneDay). National Weather Service daily climate report for Indianapolis, Nov. 23, 2016 (https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/api/1/nwstext/201611240545-KIND-CDUS43-CLIIND).
- Data pulled October 2026. Download the data: thanksgiving-eve-crashes-indiana-2016-2025.csv.
Limitations
- These are counts, not rates. We don't have traffic volumes for the holiday, so more driving alone could explain some of the national difference.
- The two baselines differ by season: national uses all other Wednesdays of the year, Indianapolis uses other October-December Wednesdays.
- The Indianapolis numbers cover IMPD only, not State Police or other agencies.
- Indiana's death counts are small, so one crash moves them.
- 2024 FARS is the Annual Report File and may change.
- We don't compare injuries, because the injury field in the city's crash layer is incomplete for 2025: it stops being recorded after May 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Are there more crash deaths on the day before Thanksgiving? Nationally it runs high: 703 U.S. crash deaths on the day before Thanksgiving from 2019 through 2024, about 19% more than a typical Wednesday of the same years (NHTSA FARS). This study did not rank it against every other day of the year.
Does Indianapolis have more crashes on Thanksgiving Eve? Sometimes. IMPD-reported crashes on Thanksgiving Eve beat a normal October-December Wednesday in 5 of 10 years (2016-2025). One rainy day, Nov. 23, 2016, accounts for nearly all of the 10-year gap.
How many people die on Indiana roads over Thanksgiving weekend? 49 people died in Indiana crashes over the six Thanksgiving weekends from 2019 through 2024, counting Wednesday 6 p.m. through Sunday 11:59 p.m., about 8 a year (NHTSA FARS).
When does the sun set on Thanksgiving Eve 2026 in Indianapolis? Sunset is 5:23 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, and civil twilight ends at 5:52 p.m. (U.S. Naval Observatory).
How should this study be cited?
Poynter & Bucheri, LLC, "Is the Day Before Thanksgiving Really the Worst Day to Drive in Indiana? What 10 Years of Crash Data Show," indianaaccidents.com, October 30, 2026. Journalists may use the findings and tables with a link to this page. The data files, map and charts are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): you may reuse them with credit to Poynter & Bucheri and a link back to this study. The article text and the firm's name and logo remain all rights reserved, and are not covered by that license. Media contact: (317) 780-8000, don@pb-law.com.