Louisville, KY – Drivers across Kentucky are being urged to use extreme caution this Blackout Wednesday, as early Thanksgiving travel and one of the year’s busiest drinking nights collide along major corridors including I-64, I-65, and I-75.
According to Alcohol.org, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—nationally known as Blackout Wednesday or “Drinksgiving”—has become one of the heaviest drinking nights of the year. In 2022, liquor orders jumped 156% from the prior Wednesday, while beer sales rose 85% and cocktail orders climbed 69%. Public-health experts cite holiday stress, short workweeks and pre-feast gatherings as key drivers of widespread binge drinking.
National traffic-safety data shows motorists are 55% more likely to encounter an impaired driver on Thanksgiving compared to a typical day. Between 2017 and 2021, more than 830 people nationwide were killed in drunk-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving travel window.
Kentucky State Police and local departments in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Covington and Richmond are expanding DUI patrols Wednesday night. Troopers say I-64, I-65, I-75, and major nightlife areas—such as Louisville’s Bardstown Road, Fourth Street Live!, downtown Lexington and college districts around UK and WKU—historically see elevated impairment-related incidents as students return home and bar traffic spikes.
Nationwide patterns show similar risks: cities like Indianapolis and Minneapolis report Blackout Wednesday can surpass New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day for DUI arrests. Officials warn that heavy bar turnout, college homecomings and early holiday travel create similar hazards across Kentucky’s interstate network.
Drivers are urged to avoid late-night travel, plan sober transportation and report suspected impaired drivers immediately.
