Major U.S. holidays are widely associated with heavy traffic and increased crash risk, but data shows that the most dangerous travel periods are not always the ones drivers anticipate. While Thanksgiving and Labor Day dominate headlines, a closer look at national and Georgia-specific crash data reveals that holidays like Presidents’ Day and Spring Break quietly carry some of the most concentrated road danger of the year.
A recent analysis conducted by the Millar Law Firm examined federal fatality data, AAA travel forecasts, and Georgia crash records to assess how traffic risk changes across the full holiday calendar. The findings show that holiday danger is driven less by the holiday itself and more by a combination of travel timing, driver expectations, and behavior—particularly during long weekends and school breaks when roads are crowded but vigilance is low.
Nationally, holiday travel periods are consistently more dangerous than ordinary days. On average, U.S. holidays see 123 traffic deaths per day, compared to 108 on non-holiday days—an increase of nearly 14%. Between 2018 and 2022, more than 11,000 people were killed during major holiday travel periods, underscoring how predictable travel surges translate into elevated risk.
While Labor Day remains the deadliest holiday overall, Presidents’ Day and Spring Break stand out for a different reason: they combine rising travel volume with a lack of public awareness about the risks. Unlike Thanksgiving or Independence Day, these periods are rarely framed as high-risk travel events, even though crash data suggests otherwise.
Presidents’ Day weekend, which falls in February, routinely ranks among the most dangerous holiday periods in Georgia. State crash records show that Presidents’ Day often produces higher accident totals than Thanksgiving and Independence Day, driven by winter travel conditions, discretionary trips, and school schedules that encourage long-distance driving. In Georgia, Presidents’ Day ranked among the top five most dangerous holiday weekends in both 2023 and 2024, with crash totals exceeding those recorded during Memorial Day and Labor Day in some years.
Winter weather plays a role nationally, but behavior remains the dominant factor. Speeding, alcohol impairment, and distracted driving all increase during long weekends, even when road conditions appear manageable. National data shows that alcohol-impaired drivers are involved in roughly 38% of holiday-period fatalities, compared to about 30% on non-holiday days. Speeding contributes to more than 31% of holiday deaths, while distracted driving accounts for more than 7%.
Spring Break introduces a different but equally dangerous dynamic. Unlike fixed-date holidays, Spring Break spans several weeks and affects different regions at different times, creating prolonged periods of elevated crash risk. AAA and INRIX travel data show that Spring Break travel volume now rivals Thanksgiving in many metro areas, particularly in the Southeast, where Georgia serves as a major corridor for travelers heading to Florida and the Gulf Coast.
Crash data confirms that Spring Break risk is spread out rather than concentrated on a single day. Instead of one spike, there are repeated surges in crashes tied to Friday departures, weekend congestion, and late-night return travel. Alcohol involvement increases significantly during Spring Break, especially among younger drivers, while speeding and phone distraction rise during long highway drives.
Georgia’s role as a regional travel hub magnifies these risks. Atlanta consistently ranks among the top U.S. metro areas for holiday-related fatalities, with state data showing elevated crash counts during both Presidents’ Day and Spring Break weekends. Major corridors such as I-75, I-85, I-20, and the Downtown Connector experience sharp congestion spikes, increasing both crash exposure and severity.
County-level data reinforces the pattern. In Fulton County, Presidents’ Day and Spring Break weekends regularly produce higher crash totals than Thanksgiving weekend, despite lower public concern. The danger is especially pronounced during return travel periods, when fatigue, congestion, and schedule pressure combine to raise crash likelihood.
One of the clearest findings of the study is that holidays with “spread-out” travel windows tend to be more dangerous than those with a single focal day. Thanksgiving Day itself often records lower-than-average crash numbers because travel is temporarily reduced. By contrast, Presidents’ Day and Spring Break involve sustained travel over multiple days, creating repeated risk windows rather than a single peak.
National comparisons support this conclusion. While Thanksgiving ranks second overall in total fatalities, holidays like Presidents’ Day and Spring Break show higher per-day risk in certain states when measured against normal traffic levels. These periods also coincide with increases in risky driving behaviors, including higher rates of speeding, hard braking, and phone use.
The data suggests that holiday travel danger is as much about expectation as it is about volume. When drivers anticipate congestion and adjust their behavior, such as on Thanksgiving—they tend to slow down and remain alert. When a holiday is perceived as routine, as with Presidents’ Day or Spring Break, drivers are more likely to underestimate risk, even as traffic volume and crash exposure rise.
Overall, the findings highlight a consistent reality: holiday driving danger is predictable, cyclical, and heavily influenced by behavior. Presidents’ Day and Spring Break may not carry the cultural weight of Thanksgiving or Independence Day, but the data shows they deserve equal attention. For drivers in Georgia and across the U.S., understanding when risk is highest – not just which holidays are busiest, may be the most effective way to reduce crashes during the travel season.
