CINCINNATI -- Experts say this Thanksgiving weekend will be the busiest for the Tri-State in the last eight years. With more people on the road, the risk for crashes increases.
Police say the risk of encountering a driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is higher than ever, while at the same time -- and not unrelated -- the number of deadly crashes spiked at a local and national level. One in three deadly crashes involved an impaired driver in 2014, according to AAA Ohio.
With all factors taken into account, experts say drivers are 25 percent more likely to get into a car crash this week than any other time during the year.
AAA Ohio said last year, 23 deadly OVIs took place in the state on Wednesday and Thursday of the Thanksgiving holiday alone.
Besides driving sober, experts say the best advice to give is to stay alert while driving this week.
"You may not realize that you're driving next to someone who is under the influence of drugs, so it's really important during this busy holiday season that you're much more focused," said Cheryl Parker, a spokeswoman from AAA Ohio.
You can hear more about driving during the Thanksgiving holiday and how to stay safe in the video above.
