Thanksgiving weekend is a popular time to travel, but it can also be a dangerous time to hit the road.
More than 300 people died in car accidents in the US over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Over the past four years, Ohio’s four busiest highways have seen more fatal crashes than any other highway in the state during the holiday weekend. Two of them run through Greater Cincinnati.
Here’s what to know, according to data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Ohio’s worst roads to drive on Thanksgiving
Ohio’s highways with the most fatalities from 2020 to 2023 over the Thanksgiving weekend were Interstate 71, Interstate 75, US Route 62 and US Route 3, with each highway seeing two or more fatalities during that time. North-south routes I-75 and I-71 run parallel to each other through Cincinnati. Two other routes pass through Columbus.
According to highway patrol data, most accidents over the weekend occurred on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Here’s a look at the breakdown of this season in Cincinnati and the surrounding areas.
Accidents in 2020, from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 329 accidents.
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Butler County: 77 accidents.
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Warren County: 38 accidents.
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Clermont County: 68 accidents.
There was another fatal accident in Warren County. There were six deaths and 2,707 accidents across the country.
Accidents in 2021, Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 271 accidents.
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Butler County: 91 accidents.
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Warren County: 36 accidents.
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Clermont County: 44 accidents.
There were 12 deaths and 3,582 total accidents across the country.
Accidents in 2022, Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 236 accidents.
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Butler County: 86 accidents.
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Warren County: 43 accidents.
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Clermont County: 41 accidents.
There was a serious accident in Warren County. Across the state, there were 13 deaths and 2,498 accidents.
Accidents in 2023, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday:
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Hamilton County: 224 accidents.
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Butler County: 81 accidents.
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Warren County: 38 accidents.
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Clermont County: 36 accidents.
There were 12 deaths nationwide and 2,449 total accidents.
Exit 12 from Interstate 75 south.
What is the best day to travel for Thanksgiving?
In Cincinnati, the Ohio Department of Transportation expects there to be heavy traffic-related traffic on Tuesday, with moderate traffic 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: 4 Ohio roads are more dangerous than others over Thanksgiving.