7 Holidays with the Highest DUI Rates
The holidays should be a time of enjoying family, giving, and celebrating together. Often, this involves becoming impaired and can lead to disaster. After a few drinks, you may think you are okay to drive, but don’t fool yourself into making a decision that can alter your life forever.
Thousands of drivers are cited each year for DUIs, and many lose their lives due to the fault of a drunk driver. The majority of these accidents and citations are centered around holidays, and what is often called the “100 deadliest days of summer,” which spans from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Saint Patricks Day
Even with the luck of the Irish, Saint Patrick’s Day can turn deadly fast, with an average of 70 fatalities a year on this holiday due to drunk driving.
Memorial Day
Marking the beginning of the deadliest days of summer, Memorial Day is meant to remember lives that were lost. Don’t add to the grief of others by driving drunk on this day.
Fourth of July – Independence Day
Celebrating the Independence of our great nation can lead to losing your own freedom if you do not use caution.
Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day denotes the finish of the 100 deadliest long stretches of summer, which run from Memorial Day until the finish of Labor Day. During this time, a normal of 260 adolescents are killed every month, an expansion of 26% contrasted with different months of the year. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 38 percent of fatalities were brought about by alcoholic drivers over Labor Day weekend—that is, 161 lives that are lost.
Thanksgiving
During the week of Thanksgiving, families are traveling farther, and traffic is up by 53 percent across the country. Nearly five times the amount of drinking-related fatalities happen during the period between Wednesday before and Thanksgiving than on any other holiday. This is also seen on Black Friday, where shoppers are out in droves to grab bargains after “wine tasting” with the girls all day.
Christmas
Nearly 100 million travelers are on the road during Christmas season, making it the busiest time of the year. With winter weather adding to the number of drunk drivers on the road, Christmas can quickly become a tragedy for many families, cause you to go to prison, or end your life.
New Years Eve and New Years Day
Bringing in the New Year can turn into friends, not making it, and see a new year if you are not careful.
Create a Plan to Avoid Holiday DUI Disasters
Before you or a friend leaves to celebrate, the holidays have a plan in place to get home safely. Take an uber home, have a designated driver, or plan to spend the night where you are going to a party.
- Know how you are going to get home when you go out to celebrate.
- Choose a designated driver.
- Call a cab service (many cities offer free cabs on holiday weekends to prevent drunk driving)
- Use your smartphone to order an Uber or Lyft
- Plan to stay the night if you will be drinking and cannot arrange a ride home.
What should you do if charged with DUI in Pennsylvania?
If you find yourself in trouble for DUI in Pennsylvania, it is likely in your best interest to seek legal counsel. Dealing with charges for a DUI in Erie Pennsylvania can be incredibly upsetting, particularly when you were accused of this offense where a legitimate doctor prescribed medication use. There is a wide range of ways that an experienced Erie DUI attorney can acquire the best possible outcome for your case. To know what steps you need to take after being charged, contact Panighetti Law today.