Despite more drivers hitting the road compared to last year, gas prices have still decreased, which may come as good news for those traveling on highways just in time for the Christmas holiday.
CLEVELAND — They’re not exactly like jingle bells or Christmas carols, but the sounds of the Ohio Turnpike get a bit louder during the holiday season.
Whether on the ground or in the air, traffic is packed. AAA estimates a 30% increase in travel time during the holidays, and Ohio Turnpike numbers show not only more traffic, but also more drivers from outside the.
With a brand-new system, we explored how turnpike safety held up around Thanksgiving ahead of the Christmas commute. According to their own data, the turnpike saw more than 800,000 drivers from Tuesday through Saturday during the week of Thanksgiving this year, 112,000 more than 2023. However, the highway saw just 22 crashes during the week, a 37% decrease versus last year.
Significantly more drivers, fewer crashes. In fact, the turnpike had its lowest accident rate for Thanksgiving week in at least three years.
With a new system that features several large “main toll plazas,” driver confusion has been an issue. When we spoke with Turnpike Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed months ago, he was hopeful drivers would adjust as time went on.
“It has been designed and operated to be a safe system,” Ahmed said. “And historically, the Ohio turnpike has been a safe system.”
As 2024 wraps up, safety seems to be turning a corner. Between wintry conditions and congested traffic, safety tips are simple: Leave early, drive carefully, and remember — no rush is worth a crash. And while crashes can happen anywhere, anytime, turnpike data shows that more collisions happen in the days closer to a holiday, so leaving a few days before Christmas might be your best route.
