Holiday Travel Is Coming And Here’s What New Yorkers Should Know

If you’re getting ready to drive somewhere for Christmas, you are definitely not the only one. This week is always packed with travelers, and a new study just broke down which states are the most dangerous for holiday driving.

Some of the findings may catch you off guard, especially when you see where New York ends up. Steele Adams Hosman dug into ten years of Christmas crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to figure out which states see the most deadly accidents during the holiday.

Southern States Top the List for Dangerous Christmas Roads

Mississippi takes the number one spot as the deadliest state for Christmas driving, with more than double the national average of holiday crash deaths. Louisiana and Alabama follow right behind. In fact, half of the top ten states are in the South. The U.S. average is about 10.66 fatalities per one million residents during Christmas. Mississippi jumps all the way to 21.27.

Where New York Stands

New York isn’t in the top ten most dangerous states, which is good news, but it doesn’t mean we get a free pass. Snow, holiday traffic and impaired driving still make this time of year risky. The number that really stands out for New York is pedestrian fatalities. We rank fourth in the share of Christmas crash deaths involving people on foot.

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More than 30 percent of our holiday traffic deaths involve pedestrians. That is a reminder to slow down and keep your eyes open, especially in busy shopping areas, decorated neighborhoods and cities where people are out walking to events.

Driver and Pedestrian Patterns Across the Country

The study didn’t just count crashes, it looked at who was involved. Rhode Island came out as the safest state overall but had all of its fatalities involve drivers. On the pedestrian side, New Hampshire ranked first at 50 percent, and New York wasn’t far behind. All of this shows that every state has its own mix of risks.

Why These Numbers Matter for Holiday Travelers

Last year, the National Safety Council estimated that more than 130 people could die on U.S. roads during the Christmas holiday with alcohol impairment the leading cause. Between celebrations, long travel days, winter weather and crowded roads, little decisions behind the wheel matter. Even one drink can hit harder than you expect, especially after a busy day of shopping or family events.