Traveling In New Jersey For Thanksgiving? Distracted Driving Is On The Rise

Thanksgiving Travel Means Busy Roads And Distracted Drivers

With more people traveling to visit family and friends than in recent years, the roads are expected to be extremely busy this holiday weekend.

Unfortunately, this surge in travel also brings driver frustration.

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Luckily, I'm not traveling very far this Thanksgiving, but even short trips can come with their own risks, and the biggest one is distracted driving.

Read More: Why New Jersey Drivers Must Stay Extra Vigilant Through December

Thanksgiving turns out to be one of the worst days for distracted driving, second only to Christmas, according to USA Today.

The study, published by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, drivers spend almost 2 minutes and 30 seconds per hour on their phones while driving on those two days.

Peak Travel Times Bring Higher Risk For Thanksgiving Drivers

Whether you're texting, calling, fumbling with your phone to quickly look up directions to wherever you're heading, or quickly checking your email, distracted driving is a serious problem.

"On Thanksgiving and Christmas days in the past, driver distraction has contributed to more than 3,200 crashes, 1,800 injuries, and 15 deaths," according to the report.

Distracted driving on Thanksgiving is typically at its worst between 9 am and 1 pm, as drivers head out to visit family and friends.

It's a good reminder to put the phone down, stay alert, stay patient, and give yourself plenty of time.