The fall and winter holiday season is approaching fast. While the holidays are a time to celebrate and relax with loved ones, they also bring danger for drivers and passengers. Holidays in the United States have a much higher rate of drunk driving than other days throughout the year.
What are the accident statistics?
It’s not difficult to see the correlation between holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and a spike in DUI and DWI. These popular holidays often accompany celebrations from lavish parties to a night at the bar with friends. A recent study from AutoInsurance.org analyzed the rates of fatal traffic accidents during holiday periods. These are the statistics it found for the average number of deadly crashes per holiday:
- Columbus Day: 417
- Halloween: 396
- Veteran’s Day: 390
- Thanksgiving: 391
- Christmas: 325
- New Year’s Day: 360
According to the study, alcohol is the primary cause of these crashes. On holidays, drunk driving is responsible for around 37% of all crashes. This is a dramatic increase of 9% compared to the rate of alcohol-related accidents on regular days.
Preventing accidents, avoiding charges
Sensible driving is key in lowering the rate of car crashes. Nothing could ruin a holiday faster than totaling one’s car, ending up in the hospital or even harming another person. It is up to every party-goer to drink responsibly, find a designated driver or call a ride. These simple actions could very well save lives.
In addition to preventing accidents, there is another strong motivator for driving safely this holiday season: avoiding traffic tickets and criminal charges. The state of New Jersey takes drunk driving very seriously and will not hesitate to book someone into custody, even on a holiday. Law enforcement officers will be on the road and at the ready to issue DWIs, DUIs and tickets for other offenses like distracted driving.
