The findings come from the latest Allstate Driver Report, which analyzed more than 44 million trips recorded through the company’s Drivewise program during Thanksgiving 2025. Allstate also examined its Roadside service events from the same period, comparing both sets of data against typical travel periods to show drivers what to watch for and how to prepare.
Allstate Drivewise Data Points to a Late-Night Surge and a Fast Thursday Morning
The pattern begins Wednesday night. Allstate reported that the number of trips rose by more than 40% between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday, a window when many travelers leave after work to get a head start on the holiday.
By Thursday morning, speeds had risen. Driving at 80 mph or faster increased nearly 200% between 6 and 9 a.m. compared with a typical Thursday morning, according to the report, and remained more than 100% above normal through lunch. The company defines high-speed driving as travel at 80 mph or faster, and the figures reflect the percentage change in the share of miles driven at those speeds rather than the raw number of drivers.
The behavior did not end with the holiday itself. On Black Friday, from 6 to 9 a.m., high-speed driving was up more than 80%, even though trips were about half as numerous as on a typical Friday morning.
Allstate Finds Risky Behaviors Stacking Up on Thanksgiving Day
The report also looked at how risky behaviors combine. Across Thanksgiving Day, about 1 in 5 trips involved multiple risky behaviors, according to Allstate. Among those riskier trips, more than 90% paired speeding with phone use. In the report’s methodology, speeding means driving more than 15 mph over the posted limit, and phone use reflects phone handling as measured in the Drivewise analysis.
Allstate Identifies the States and Interstates Where Speeds Rose Most
Allstate ranked the places where high-speed driving increased most across Thanksgiving Day. South Carolina led the list at 151%, followed by New York at 149%, Texas at 139%, North Carolina at 129% and Florida at 123%.
The pattern also appeared on several major highways during Thanksgiving week. In Texas, high-speed driving rose 60% on I-40, 49% on I-30 and 37% on I-10. Elsewhere, the report cited increases of 43% on I-40 in New Mexico, 39% on I-30 in Arkansas, 37% on I-35 in Kansas and 36% on I-20 in Louisiana. Allstate noted that its rankings of increases by state, city and interstate exclude places where a separate October control period also shifted by 10% or more, a step the company used to assess whether changes were specific to the holiday.
Allstate Drivewise Shows Thanksgiving Trips Going Longer and Crossing State Lines
Drivers also traveled farther. The share of trips of 100 miles or more doubled on Wednesday and Thursday, and the average Thanksgiving Day trip was more than 40% longer than usual, according to the report.
Several cities saw notable inflows of visitors. Oklahoma City recorded a 42% increase in out-of-state drivers during Thanksgiving week, the largest in the report, followed by Jacksonville, Florida, at 19%, San Antonio at 16%, New Orleans at 14% and Columbus, Ohio, at 14%. Allstate calculated that measure as the average daily number of Drivewise users whose trips ended in a state other than their policy state.
Trip volume also rose along specific corridors. The report listed increases of 57% on I-20 in Mississippi and 49% on I-20 in Louisiana, 52% on I-95 in North Carolina and 48% on I-95 in South Carolina, and 47% on I-10 in Mississippi. Interstate figures combine each highway’s stretches within a state and exclude frontage roads, business loops and business routes.
Allstate Roadside Sees Its Busiest Stretch on the Trip Home
The return trip proved the most demanding for roadside services. The Monday after Thanksgiving was Allstate Roadside’s second-busiest day of 2025, with service events 52% above the daily average, according to the company. Over the holiday period, about 3 in 5 service events required a tow, and jump-starts were the most common service that did not involve towing.
Brian Dieringer, president of Allstate Roadside, said in the announcement: “Allstate wants to help drivers get where they’re going safely. Give yourself extra time, watch your speed and check your car before you leave.” He added that Drivewise can help enrolled customers understand their driving habits, and that Allstate Roadside offers membership or pay-per-use support for car breakdowns and accidents.
Allstate Outlines Preparation Steps Before Drivers Leave
The report closes with a set of recommendations for travelers. Allstate advises drivers to pack for a delay by keeping water, snacks, medications and phone chargers in the car in case traffic, collisions or weather extend a trip. It also recommends allowing extra time, setting navigation before departure and avoiding attempts to make up time on the road.
Because roadside demand rises on the drive home, the company suggests checking the battery and tires before a long trip so potential problems are addressed early. Drivers are also encouraged to review their roadside assistance options ahead of time, including Allstate Roadside memberships and pay-per-use help, which the company says are available to drivers with or without an Allstate insurance policy through the Allstate app. Services include towing, jump-starts, tire changes, lockout assistance and fuel delivery, subject to availability, terms and conditions, with response times that vary by location, traffic and weather.
Allstate Drivewise Feedback and What the Program Offers Enrolled Customers
Drivewise, available in the Allstate app, gives enrolled customers personalized feedback on speed, braking and phone activity. Allstate says the program also connects customers to a more personalized auto insurance rate based on everyday driving, and that customers may save simply by participating, with overall savings depending on driving behavior and state. In some states, according to the company, high-risk driving may increase the price a customer pays, and in some states participation allows Allstate to use driving data for rating purposes. Allstate states that Drivewise savings are not available in California and Alaska.
How Allstate Compiled the Thanksgiving Driver Report
The Drivewise findings are based on aggregated and anonymized data from more than 44 million trips taken Nov. 22 to 30, 2025, compared with Nov. 8 to 16, 2025. Individual holiday days were compared with designated same-weekday baselines. The Roadside findings draw on service events from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2, 2025, compared with the 2025 daily average where noted.
The report, issued from Chicago on Nov. 10, 2026, arrives as the next holiday travel season approaches, with Allstate positioning its data as a guide to when and where drivers should take extra care.