2026 Holiday Driving Risk Report: When Speeding and Distraction Spike, and How to Plan Around It

Anyone driving home for the winter holidays should take extra care on the road: Driving is more dangerous during the winter holidays than on similar days. Over the last five years, drivers spent more time distracted or speeding on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day than on comparable days, according to data from CMT.AI.

The holidays are a demanding time for many: 77% of Americans report some form of holiday-related stress, including 33% who feel more rushed than usual, according to an Insurify survey of 1,000 Americans aged 22 to 70 who lease or own a car. A long drive can add pressure to an already busy season that often requires drivers to navigate traffic, fatigue, and winter weather.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Day had the largest average spikes in speeding and phone screen interaction from 2021 to 2025, but last year saw some significant increases in speeding. In 2025, drivers spent 93% more time speeding on Christmas Day and 74.5% more time speeding on Thanksgiving than on similar days.

“The hourly patterns tell us when speeding increases. They don’t tell us what each driver was thinking, or let us rank schedule pressure against fatigue, unfamiliar roads, and passengers,” Matt Fiorentino, senior vice president of marketing and communications at CMT.AI, tells Insurify. “But drivers can plan for that pressure: Build in extra time, and be willing to arrive late instead of trying to make up time on the road.”

Key findings

• Analyzing speeding and distracted-driving spikes on all four days from 2021 to 2025, Insurify and CMT.AI found higher average spikes in dangerous driving when the holidays fell on weekdays. In 2026, Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day will be on weekdays — Thursday and Friday.

• Of the six winter holidays Insurify reviewed, Thanksgiving has the highest spike in distracted driving in 37 states, according to CMT.AI data. Christmas Day is the most distracted holiday compared to similar days in eight states, and New Year’s Day in four states.

• For Christmas and New Year’s, the holiday itself is riskier than the day before. For example, drivers spend 18.8% more time speeding on Dec. 24 and 53.7% more time speeding on Dec. 25 than on similar days, on average.

• Driving safely during the holidays can save people money. The average annual cost of car insurance is $2,237, according to Insurify data. But drivers pay 29% more if they have a speeding ticket on their record, 34% more if they have an at-fault accident, and 43% more if they have a DUI.

• Holiday driving presents risks many drivers aren’t comfortable with: 65% of surveyed Americans feel unsafe driving in the snow and ice, 35% feel unsafe driving at night, 34% feel unsafe driving in an unfamiliar area, 33% feel unsafe driving in the rain, and 29% feel unsafe driving in heavy traffic.

• More than half (59%) of surveyed Americans report multitasking while driving during the holiday season, highlighting another holiday road risk: distracted drivers.

When to drive extra carefully during the winter holidays

The holidays bring a host of road risks: dense traffic, remote highways, unfamiliar areas, unpredictable weather, and impatient drivers trying to make it to dinner on time. Distracted driving and speeding spike on all six winter holidays Insurify analyzed, so taking extra care whenever driving on a holiday can go a long way toward ensuring everyone arrives safely.

But CMT.AI’s hour-by-hour data can provide drivers with even more detail on when to drive defensively during the end-of-year holidays.

“If your schedule is flexible, use the report’s hourly patterns to help choose when to travel. If it isn’t, prepare for the drive without assuming you can make up delays by driving faster,” Fiorentino says. “Treat the higher-risk hours as a planning cue, not a guarantee that another hour is safe. The goal is to arrive without rushing or pushing through fatigue.”

On Thanksgiving and Black Friday, speeding spikes during morning travel

Both Thanksgiving and Black Friday see their highest average speeding spikes from 7 to 8 a.m., when drivers spend 185.4% and 103.2% more time speeding, respectively, than on comparable days, according to CMT.AI data.

That’s a typical commuting hour, but with fewer cars on the road, drivers may feel more comfortable speeding.^[1] That said, speeding in any circumstance is a major road risk. In 2024, 11,288 people died in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all traffic deaths that year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).^[2]

Distraction is also elevated during that time on both days, compounding road risk. Drivers spend 16.8% more time on Thanksgiving and 3.7% more time on Black Friday interacting with their phones. Overall, drivers spend 68.6% more time speeding and 15.1% more time distracted on Thanksgiving than on similar days, according to CMT.AI data. Spikes are lower, but still notable, on Black Friday, when drivers spend 29.2% more time speeding and 7.2% more time distracted than on similar days.

Christmas Day brings the season’s biggest midday speeding spike

The rush to get to holiday gatherings shows up in the data. On Christmas Day, speeding spikes are especially high from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., peaking between 2 and 3 p.m., when drivers spend 115.4% more time speeding than on comparable days. Again, spikes in distracted driving add to the risk: During the peak hour, drivers spend 16.3% more time interacting with their phones, according to CMT.AI data.

On Christmas Eve, speeding spikes are highest from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but hit an early high from 7 to 8 a.m. and peaked from 4 to 5 p.m. As people rushed home from work early to make it to family dinner on time, distraction also spiked: From 4 to 5 p.m., drivers spent 50.3% more time speeding and 8.6% more time interacting with their phones than on comparable days.

Overall, drivers spend 18.8% more time speeding and 2.9% more time distracted on Christmas Eve than on similar days, according to CMT.AI data. Christmas Day sees much higher spikes, with drivers spending 53.7% more time speeding and 12.3% more time distracted than on similar days. But last year, speeding spiked 93% on Christmas Day, peaking at 241.2% higher than typical days from 7 to 8 a.m.

Late nights and early mornings bring distraction spikes on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Risky driving on New Year’s sticks to the rhythm of the celebration, according to CMT.AI data.

On New Year’s Eve, speeding spikes from 7 to 8 a.m. during the morning commute, when roads may be emptier from people taking the day off, and in the late afternoon, when people may be doing last-minute errands and heading to evening plans. A little less than half (44%) of Americans feel busier during the holidays, and 33% feel more rushed. And 15% report driving faster than normal to stay on schedule, according to Insurify’s survey.

Speeding drops after 6 p.m., with drivers speeding less than on comparable days after 9 p.m. People may have arrived at parties or could be driving carefully due to a heavier police presence.^[3] But distraction also ticks up at this time, hitting the highest spike of the season in the early hours of New Year’s Day, when drivers spend 34% more time interacting with their phones than on comparable days.

Speeding spikes midday on New Year’s Day, peaking at 68.8% higher than typical days from 12 to 1 p.m., when people may be driving home if they stayed overnight somewhere. Nearly one-third (32%) of surveyed Americans reported staying overnight after a holiday party or gathering. Open roads plus tired drivers could contribute to spikes in speeding.

Which holiday changes driving behavior the most in each state

Drivers in all areas of the U.S. could benefit from being extra careful behind the wheel during the year-end holiday season. In every state, distracted driving spikes on at least one of the six winter holidays Insurify analyzed, according to CMT.AI data. But whether distracted driving spikes higher on Thanksgiving versus Christmas Day, for example, varies by state.

In 37 states, Thanksgiving has the highest spike in distracted driving relative to similar days, compared with the other five holidays. Among them, Vermont has the largest spike, with drivers spending 39.2% more time interacting with their phones than on similar days.

In eight states, Christmas Day is the most-distracted holiday, and in four states, it’s New Year’s Day. New York is among the states with the highest increase in distracted driving on New Year’s Day, where drivers spend 17% more time interacting with their phones than on similar days. New York City’s famous New Year’s celebrations could contribute to higher levels of risky driving.

State	Most Distracted Holiday Compared to Similar Days	Thanksgiving Distraction Spike	Black Friday Distraction Spike	Christmas Eve Distraction Spike	Christmas Day Distraction Spike	New Year’s Eve Distraction Spike	New Year’s Day Distraction Spike
Alaska	New Year’s Day	+6.9%	+8.7%	+10.2%	-0.4%	+14.4%	+20.2%
Alabama	Thanksgiving	+9.0%	+8.1%	-1.4%	+6.4%	-1.7%	+0.5%
Arkansas	Thanksgiving	+13.0%	+8.6%	+1.1%	+12.1%	+0.7%	+12.8%
Arizona	Thanksgiving	+14.6%	+6.8%	+0.3%	+11.7%	+5.8%	+10.3%
California	Thanksgiving	+2.0%	-0.9%	-3.1%	-1.0%	+0.7%	+2.0%
Colorado	Thanksgiving	+12.7%	+7.3%	+0.3%	+6.9%	+6.1%	+9.0%
Connecticut	Thanksgiving	+23.1%	+9.0%	+5.5%	+17.5%	+3.5%	+11.0%
Delaware	New Year’s Day	+13.9%	+4.7%	+7.8%	+13.4%	+1.2%	+15.0%
Florida	Thanksgiving	+14.3%	+5.3%	+1.7%	+7.5%	+5.4%	+9.2%
Georgia	Christmas Day	+12.7%	+5.6%	+5.1%	+13.1%	+7.1%	+9.0%
Hawaii	Christmas Day	+21.2%	-1.4%	+10.9%	+24.7%	+0.7%	+2.7%
Iowa	Thanksgiving	+21.1%	+9.8%	+7.3%	+11.8%	+4.8%	+1.9%
Idaho	Thanksgiving	+20.2%	+7.2%	+3.5%	+14.2%	-0.5%	+15.8%
Illinois	Thanksgiving	+17.7%	+7.6%	+0.8%	+8.5%	+4.5%	+11.1%
Indiana	Thanksgiving	+24.4%	+9.7%	+1.9%	+23.5%	+7.3%	+9.4%
Kansas	Thanksgiving	+12.6%	+8.3%	+1.6%	+7.7%	+3.1%	+5.7%
Kentucky	Christmas Day	+14.0%	+9.6%	-2.6%	+15.8%	+7.7%	+11.2%
Louisiana	Christmas Day	+8.0%	+6.8%	-2.8%	+8.0%	+1.5%	+0.4%
Massachusetts	Thanksgiving	+19.1%	+9.2%	+8.0%	+15.4%	+7.8%	+16.1%
Maryland	Thanksgiving	+21.2%	+5.0%	+8.4%	+15.1%	+9.7%	+10.5%
Maine	Thanksgiving	+32.5%	+9.0%	-10.5%	+9.3%	+11.3%	+24.9%
Michigan	Thanksgiving	+24.0%	+8.0%	+4.5%	+14.0%	+6.0%	+10.9%
Minnesota	Thanksgiving	+25.1%	+11.6%	+11.8%	+17.9%	+10.3%	+14.5%
Missouri	Thanksgiving	+12.4%	+3.6%	+3.3%	+5.3%	+1.6%	+9.1%
Mississippi	Christmas Day	+16.0%	+5.6%	+0.5%	+23.7%	+2.0%	+3.7%
Montana	Thanksgiving	+32.7%	+9.0%	-1.5%	+17.4%	+3.4%	+16.2%
North Carolina	Thanksgiving	+11.3%	+6.7%	-2.3%	+8.5%	+3.4%	+7.5%
North Dakota	Thanksgiving	+17.4%	-0.7%	+1.6%	+13.5%	+15.5%	+13.2%
Nebraska	Thanksgiving	+16.2%	+14.9%	-2.2%	+13.6%	+10.8%	+10.5%
New Hampshire	New Year’s Day	+15.2%	+13.8%	-0.9%	+12.3%	+0.2%	+20.2%
New Jersey	Thanksgiving	+16.5%	+7.1%	+3.2%	+10.6%	+10.3%	+11.7%
New Mexico	Thanksgiving	+19.7%	+6.2%	-7.1%	+9.3%	+0.7%	+5.5%
Nevada	Thanksgiving	+21.0%	+6.8%	+1.0%	+15.7%	+7.9%	+3.1%
New York	New Year’s Day	+11.5%	+2.1%	+1.8%	+14.6%	+3.1%	+17.0%
Ohio	Thanksgiving	+22.0%	+14.1%	+3.3%	+14.4%	+7.0%	+9.3%
Oklahoma	Black Friday	+11.9%	+11.9%	-2.5%	+6.0%	+2.2%	+7.8%
Oregon	Thanksgiving	+17.9%	+8.9%	+0.7%	+15.1%	+10.9%	+9.9%
Pennsylvania	Thanksgiving	+14.7%	+7.5%	+4.4%	+10.3%	+9.4%	+11.4%
Rhode Island	Thanksgiving	+17.0%	+8.7%	+4.0%	+13.1%	+4.3%	+14.1%
South Carolina	Christmas Day	+6.9%	+8.1%	+3.1%	+9.9%	+1.6%	+2.8%
South Dakota	Thanksgiving	+16.5%	+7.2%	-0.2%	-0.5%	+16.2%	-1.4%
Tennessee	Thanksgiving	+14.0%	+7.4%	+1.1%	+10.1%	+1.9%	+5.6%
Texas	Thanksgiving	+10.2%	+4.0%	+1.0%	+9.5%	+4.8%	+6.8%
Utah	Thanksgiving	+21.2%	+15.6%	+5.9%	+20.9%	+5.6%	+15.0%
Virginia	Thanksgiving	+18.5%	+9.3%	+2.1%	+16.2%	+8.2%	+8.3%
Vermont	Thanksgiving	+39.2%	+29.3%	+4.1%	+4.6%	+11.9%	+10.7%
Washington	Christmas Day	+14.0%	+5.6%	+6.4%	+14.8%	+11.1%	+6.8%
Wisconsin	Thanksgiving	+19.1%	+11.3%	+8.9%	+15.8%	+7.5%	+15.2%
West Virginia	Thanksgiving	+15.8%	+6.9%	+3.1%	+15.3%	+2.5%	+3.3%
Wyoming	Christmas Day	-4.2%	-6.7%	-1.2%	+6.8%	-14.0%	-2.3%

Note: Spikes are rounded to one decimal place. Where two holidays appear tied, the most distracted holiday is based on unrounded figures.

Of the six holidays, three have the highest distracted-driving spikes in most states: Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. But in a few states, the holiday on the day before or after has higher spikes in distracted driving.

Compared with Thanksgiving, only Alaska, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have higher distracted-driving spikes on Black Friday — and in Oklahoma, it’s practically a tie. Alaska also has a higher spike in distracted driving on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day.

New Year’s is a bit more varied. New Year’s Day still sees high distracted-driving spikes in most states, but in nine states, drivers spend more time interacting with their phones on New Year’s Eve. South Dakota, Nevada, and Washington have the largest spikes compared to New Year’s Day.

Distracted driving levels in the most expensive states for car insurance

Among the 10 most expensive states for car insurance, distracted driving spikes highest on Thanksgiving in six states, Christmas Day in two states, and New Year’s Day in two states. On Thanksgiving, Michigan drivers spend 24% more time distracted than on similar days, according to CMT.AI data.

State	Average Annual Full-Coverage Car Insurance Premium	Most Distracted Holiday Compared to Similar Days
Maryland	$3,880	Thanksgiving (+21.2%)
Rhode Island	$3,611	Thanksgiving (+17%)
Michigan	$3,229	Thanksgiving (+24%)
Georgia	$3,109	Christmas Day (+13.1%)
Delaware	$3,100	New Year’s Day (+15%)
South Carolina	$3,075	Christmas Day (+9.9%)
Nevada	$3,039	Thanksgiving (+21%)
New Jersey	$2,923	Thanksgiving (+16.5%)
New York	$2,840	New Year’s Day (+17%)
Connecticut	$2,652	Thanksgiving (+23.1%)

Note: Insurify ranks Washington, D.C., as the most expensive “state” for car insurance in its most recent auto insurance report, but D.C. is excluded because CMT.AI data covers the 50 states.

Drivers in the most expensive states for car insurance may have more to lose from a risky holiday drive. An accident in a state with higher premiums can cost more, even when drivers aren’t any riskier overall.

Numerous factors affect the cost of car insurance — especially personal driving record, location, and vehicle type. The cost of auto repairs, severe weather, and incident rates all contribute to local claims risk, which affects insurance premiums.

For example, in Maryland, where the average annual premium is nearly $4,000, causing an accident could push premiums above $5,000 per year. So while there’s an elevated road risk during the holidays, driving safely can help ensure drivers don’t face higher premiums in the new year.

State	Average Annual Full-Coverage Car Insurance Premium	Average Annual Car Insurance Premium for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket	Average Annual Car Insurance Premium for Drivers With an At-Fault Accident	Average Annual Car Insurance Premium for Drivers With a DUI
Maryland	$3,880	$5,005	$5,199	$5,548
Rhode Island	$3,611	$4,658	$4,839	$5,164
Michigan	$3,229	$4,165	$4,327	$4,617
Georgia	$3,109	$4,011	$4,166	$4,446
Delaware	$3,100	$3,999	$4,154	$4,433
South Carolina	$3,075	$3,967	$4,121	$4,397
Nevada	$3,039	$3,920	$4,072	$4,346
New Jersey	$2,923	$3,771	$3,917	$4,180
New York	$2,840	$3,664	$3,806	$4,061
Connecticut	$2,652	$3,421	$3,554	$3,792

Safety and savings: How telematics can help

When it comes to auto coverage, telematics programs are a type of usage-based insurance that track driving behavior via a plug-in device, a vehicle’s built-in tech, or, most commonly, a smartphone app. Opt-in telematics programs can measure where, when, and how much a vehicle is on the road.

“Telematics can help drivers understand their phone use and speeding, then give them specific feedback to improve,” Fiorentino says. “Holiday insights add another layer: Knowing when risky behavior rises gives us an opportunity to help people prepare before they leave. Building safer habits and anticipating higher-risk situations belong together.”

A national driver trial found that this style of feedback and incentives cut speeding by up to 13%, hard braking by up to 21%, and rapid acceleration by up to 25%.^[4]

Many insurers offer telematics programs that let drivers earn discounts for safe driving. For example, State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save program offers a 10% discount for participating and says drivers can save up to 30%.^[5] Insurers don’t guarantee savings, though, and riskier driving could mean drivers aren’t eligible for the discount.

Safe driving also reduces fuel costs — no small thing, since regular gas was $4.35 per gallon, on average, in October, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.^[6] Across all vehicle types, safe drivers are 5% more fuel efficient than risky drivers, according to a 2025 study by CMT.AI and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.^[7] The gap was even wider for SUV drivers, where safe drivers consume 9.9% less, or 63.2 fewer gallons of gasoline, a potential savings of $275 per year.

Tips: How to stay safe and save money during the holidays

The bottom line is that practicing safe, defensive driving during the holiday season helps ensure everyone gets where they’re going safely. And it also saves drivers money in the long run.

“Leaving early costs nothing,” says Mallory Mooney, Insurify’s director of sales and client services. “A speeding ticket or at-fault crash could raise your insurance costs well after the holidays.”

Simple actions like wearing seat belts, reducing distractions, planning ahead, and never driving impaired can go a long way, according to NHTSA recommendations.^[8] To help make holiday driving safer, Fiorentino advises drivers to set up their phones before leaving, build more time into their schedules, and watch out for risky or unpredictable behavior from others on the road.

“Even when insurance covers a crash, you may still have a deductible to pay,” Mooney says. “Slowing down and taking a break when you’re tired can help you avoid that expense and protect the safe driving record that helps keep premiums down.”

Drivers have several ways to save on car insurance, whether or not they have an incident on their record. Bundling policies and taking advantage of every applicable discount — even for small things like paperless billing — can add up to major savings. Adjusting coverage levels and raising the policy’s deductible can also reduce premiums. But drivers should ensure they have adequate protection and the cash to cover a higher deductible. In most states, working to maintain good credit can also help lower premiums.

Methodology

Insurify partnered with CMT.AI on this report about driving behavior and car insurance costs. Insurify’s data scientists examined more than 250 million rates in its proprietary database, quoted via integrations with partnering insurance companies, to determine average car insurance rates. Rates reflect the average annual cost of a full-coverage car insurance policy with bodily injury limits between state-minimum requirements and $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident; property damage coverage between $10,000 and $50,000; and comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.

For this analysis, CMT.AI used seconds of screen interaction as a measure of distracted driving. Screen interaction means any physical interaction with the phone’s screen, including writing an email or text message, using an app, entering a phone number, playing a game, and more. CMT.AI defines speeding as the time spent driving 9.3 mph or more above the posted speed limit for at least 300 feet. To determine levels of distraction and speeding compared to similar days, CMT.AI compared the same day of the week one and two or three weeks before and one and two or three weeks after in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, drawing on over 264 million trips. Insurify defines a “spike” as the extent to which drivers interact with their phones or speed compared to similar days.