Driving safely during Thanksgiving holiday in Southwest Florida

Most people drive to their Thanksgiving destination on Thanksgiving Day. According to AAA, nearly 72 million people are expected to get behind the wheel.

Most days, driving on Southwest Florida roads involves brake lights, aggressive drivers and endless construction. Over the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend, thousands of new drivers will add to the chaos.

“We’re looking at 4.1 million Floridians who will be hitting the roads, and that doesn’t even include the number of people who are going to be here from out of state,” said Mark Jenkins, Spokesperson at AAA.

And they’ll be navigating spots that confuse and enrage locals, like the notoriously dangerous State Road 82, the dreaded diverging diamond project at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 and lane closures and construction on the Caloosahatchee Bridge.

“I’m sure you’re going to see more traffic near attractions, shopping centers, malls, things like that, so just plan ahead, leave early, if you can,” said Jenkins.

And be prepared not just for more drivers, but for more impaired drivers too.

“More people are consuming alcohol or other drugs, and they’re taking to the roadways to get home from holiday parties, so there is an increase in impaired driving crashes,” said Sophia Spero, Program Specialist at Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Spero knows the consequences of these crashes firsthand.

“In 2018, I was on my way to my part-time job, and unfortunately, an impaired driver, a wrong-way impaired driver, came at me down the road, and we ended up having a head-on collision. I suffered numerous orthopedic injuries,” she said.

As you hit the road to celebrate this Thanksgiving, think of Spero and all the other people inside those cars.

Keep calm, drive sober and drive safely.