A new study from The Schiller Kessler Group examining fatal motor vehicle crashes from 2019 through 2023 finds that drunk driving remains one of America’s most predictable and preventable causes of roadway death, especially during holidays. Across the five-year study period, the U.S. recorded 186,283 fatal motor vehicle crashes, resulting in 202,214 deaths, and approximately 30% of those fatalities involved drunk driving. While the public often expects risk spikes around New Year’s, the study finds that multiple holiday periods repeatedly produce high numbers of alcohol-impaired fatalities, particularly when late-night travel and celebration drinking overlap.
But the report’s most pointed conclusion goes beyond raw crash totals. It argues that the U.S. cannot meaningfully reduce holiday drunk driving deaths without improving the quality and independence of public safety messaging. According to the study, many widely seen “awareness” campaigns are poorly designed, overly vague, and in some cases counterproductive, especially when backed by the alcohol industry and framed around lifestyle-first imagery.
Holiday Windows With the Highest Drunk Driving Deaths
The study identifies a clear hierarchy of holiday risk when focusing specifically on alcohol-impaired fatalities. Independence Day was the most dangerous holiday for drunk driving deaths, with 2,653 fatalities involving drunk drivers from 2019 to 2023. Prolonged celebrations, heavy alcohol consumption, fireworks gatherings, and late-night return trips create a high-risk environment that repeats annually.
Labor Day followed with 2,531 drunk driving fatalities, reflecting end-of-summer travel, long highway drives, and alcohol-centered gatherings. Thanksgiving recorded 2,507 alcohol-impaired deaths, highlighting a common blind spot: many people associate Thanksgiving primarily with daytime family events, but the surrounding period, especially heavy evening drinking and nighttime travel- can sharply elevate risk.
Memorial Day recorded 2,343 drunk driving fatalities, reinforcing the pattern that summer holiday weekends combine high travel exposure with high alcohol consumption. Christmas, while lower than summer holidays, still produced 1,621 drunk driving deaths across the study window, significant harm that can be masked by the fact that Christmas has lower overall fatal crash totals than other major holidays.
Why “Safest Holiday” Doesn’t Mean “Safe”
The study also compares overall fatal crash totals across holidays. Memorial Day ranked as the deadliest holiday for motorists in total fatal crashes (2,440), followed by Independence Day (2,307) and Labor Day (2,275). New Year’s also recorded a high total (2,094 fatal crashes), while Thanksgiving recorded 1,475 and Christmas recorded 631, the lowest overall.
The report explains why Christmas may have fewer fatal crashes: travel tends to be shorter-distance, spread across more days, and more daytime-leaning. However, the study stresses that lower overall fatal crashes do not eliminate alcohol risk. With more than 1,600 drunk driving fatalities during the Christmas period in the dataset, impaired driving remains a serious concern even when total crash volume is lower.
The Campaign Problem: When “Awareness” Ads Undermine Safety
The study cites research indicating that some drunk driving awareness advertisements—particularly those endorsed or sponsored by the alcohol industry- may not only be ineffective but may actively undermine prevention. A Vital Strategies analysis examined industry-backed video ads aired across multiple countries and found repeated patterns that conflict with best practices for prevention messaging.
In that analysis, a large share of ads showed alcohol being consumed, and many portrayed drinking as glamorous, celebratory, or aspirational, associating alcohol with parties, success, or social status. Nearly half relied on celebrity appeal. Critically, many ads failed to show real-world consequences of drunk driving, avoiding depictions of crashes, injury, disability, or death. While the ads frequently offered generic “responsible drinking” suggestions, like using a designated driver, research suggests vague messaging tends to have limited impact on behavior.
The study contrasts this with evidence-based public health approaches. When communities and governments deliver independent campaigns aligned with research-informed guidance, measurable reductions in alcohol-related crashes have been recorded, reinforcing that messaging content, tone, and accountability matter.
Why This Matters Most During Holidays
Holiday risk is not simply about people drinking more; it’s about when people drink and how they travel afterward. Holiday travel windows often compress large numbers of trips into a tight time frame, with a heavy emphasis on late-night driving. When alcohol impairment is introduced into that environment, risk multiplies quickly. The study emphasizes that prevention must match this reality with targeted timing, specific warnings, and messages that do not normalize alcohol consumption as part of celebration.
States Carrying the Heaviest Burden
The study also highlights where holiday drunk driving deaths cluster. California (1,126), Texas (1,028), and Florida (924) recorded the highest number of holiday drunk driving deaths across the five holidays analyzed. The report notes that population size and travel volume contribute significantly, but regional patterns also matter. Southern and Southeastern states—including Georgia (461) and North Carolina (412)—show consistently high totals, reflecting travel distances, limited transit alternatives, and recurring holiday driving patterns.
A Clear Call to Action
The study concludes that reducing holiday drunk driving deaths requires more than seasonal slogans. It calls for targeted enforcement during the highest-risk holiday windows, expanded safe-ride options, and prevention campaigns designed around evidence, especially campaigns that do not depict drinking as glamorous or consequence-free. The goal is straightforward: fewer families losing loved ones during what should be celebratory weekends.
