The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is a popular time to travel, but it can also be a dangerous time to hit the road.
More than 300 people were killed in car crashes in the U.S. over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Over the past four years, four heavily trafficked Ohio routes have seen more fatal crashes than any other road in the state during the holiday weekend. Two of them run through Greater Cincinnati.
Here’s what you need to know, according to data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The most dangerous roads to drive in Ohio over Thanksgiving
The Ohio routes with the most fatalities from 2020 to 2023 over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend were Interstate 71, Interstate 75, US Route 62 and US Route 3, with each road having two or more fatalities during that period. North-south routes I-75 and I-71 run perpendicular to each other through Cincinnati. The other two routes pass through Columbus.
According to state highway patrol data, most of the holiday weekend crashes occurred on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Here’s a look at crashes during this time in Cincinnati and surrounding areas.
Crashes in 2020, from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 329 crashes.
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Butler County: 77 crashes.
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Warren County: 38 crashes.
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Clermont County: 68 crashes.
There was one fatality in Warren County. There were six fatalities and 2,707 crashes statewide.
Crashes in 2021, Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 271 crashes.
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Butler County: 91 crashes.
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Warren County: 36 crashes.
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Clermont County: 44 crashes.
There were 14 fatalities and 3,582 total crashes statewide.
Crashes in 2022, Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 236 crashes.
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Butler County: 86 crashes.
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Warren County: 43 crashes.
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Clermont County: 41 crashes.
There was one fatality in Warren County. Statewide, there were 13 fatalities and a total of 2,498 accidents.
Crashes in 2023, Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 224 crashes.
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Butler County: 81 crashes.
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Warren County: 38 crashes.
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Clermont County: 36 crashes.
There were 11 fatalities and 2,449 total crashes statewide.
Exit 12 of Interstate 75 southbound.
When is the best day to travel for Thanksgiving?
In Cincinnati, the Ohio Department of Transportation expects travel-related traffic to be heavy on Tuesday, with moderate traffic on Wednesday and Sunday. The department expects light traffic on Thanksgiving and Friday, and normal traffic on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Four Ohio roads are more dangerous than the others during Thanksgiving
