Columbus, OH – Drivers across Ohio are being urged to use extreme caution this Blackout Wednesday, as one of the year’s heaviest drinking nights collides with early Thanksgiving travel and packed nightlife districts along major corridors including I-71, I-75, and I-70.
According to Alcohol.org, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—known nationally as Blackout Wednesday or “Drinksgiving”—has rapidly grown into a major alcohol-consumption event. Liquor orders surged 156% in 2022 compared to the previous Wednesday, while beer sales rose 85% and cocktail orders climbed 69%. Public-health experts say holiday stress, shortened workweeks and pre-holiday gatherings drive widespread binge drinking.
National traffic-safety data shows the risk of encountering an impaired driver on Thanksgiving is 55% higher than an average day. Between 2017 and 2021, more than 830 people nationwide were killed in drunk-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving travel window.
Ohio State Highway Patrol, along with police in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and Dayton, are deploying expanded DUI patrols Wednesday night. Troopers say I-71, I-75, I-70, and nightlife hubs like the Short North, downtown Cleveland, Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine and college districts near OSU, UC and Kent State routinely see heightened impairment-related incidents as students return home and bar crowds swell.
Similar patterns have been seen nationwide. Cities such as Indianapolis and Minneapolis report Blackout Wednesday sometimes surpasses New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day for DUI arrests. Officials warn the same conditions apply in Ohio, where large urban centers and heavily traveled interstates increase risk for evening drivers.
Motorists are urged to avoid late-night travel, plan sober transportation and report suspected impaired drivers immediately.
