In Alabama, the holiday season is underway, and although that comes with a lot of special moments and tender surprises, there’s also a lot more danger on the roads.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 40 deadly wrecks just on Thanksgiving alone in the same four-year period between 2017-2021. Data shows from 2015-2019, from Christmas to New Year, there were 71 fatal car wrecks in Alabama. The data also expresses that 38% of all the wrecks in this margin were caused by drunk driving. 

Bob Jones students share their opinion on how safe they feel about the roads during the holiday rush. Sage Vines, a senior, explained how she feels about driving during the holiday season. Vines said, “I personally do not like driving during the holiday season because it scares me that I might get into a wreck.” She also went on to say that “Alabama’s traffic has been slowly getting worse over the years. It feels as if there is bumper-to-bumper traffic on some days.” Bailey Padget, a junior, explained his feelings on Alabama traffic lately. Padget said, “I think in Madison, the traffic gets pretty hectic. There are a lot of small roads for a city that is growing as fast as it is.” Padget also felt that Back Friday was where the most traffic and chaos occurred on the roads here in Alabama. 

With the energetic rush of the holidays underway, it’s important to remember that the roads are in fact extremely dangerous and unapologetic if you’re not being attentive and serious. Regardless if you just got your license or you’ve been driving for 30 years, the holiday season is especially dangerous no matter what you’re driving and what your coordination skills might be. 

If you’d like some warning about when accidents occur in Madison, you can use the Nixle service on your phone. Nixle.com states, “Simply text your zip code to 888777 and receive real-time alerts and advisories directly from your local police department and other local agencies.”