Dangers of Drinking and Driving During the Holiday Season

December 27, 2019

The holidays are a time for celebrations and getting together with friends, family, and co-workers to eat, drink, and be merry. Unfortunately, a fun holiday event can become tragic when drunk drivers cause car accidents. While drunk driving fatalities have been on a steady decline over the past two decades, drunk driving deaths remain the most preventable type of car accident.

Most Dangerous Time of the Year

The holiday season is a particularly risky time for drunk driving accidents. The period between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a very dangerous time as many offices, families, and friends come together to celebrate the holiday season.  Office parties, dinners at restaurants, house parties, and special occasions are plentiful during December, which means there is a higher risk for people driving under the influence. Traffic stops increase over 30 percent between Christmas Eve and Christmas day as celebrants head home after a night of partying.

New Year’s Eve is another risky night on the road as people gather to ring in the New Year. Parties and gatherings tend to last into the early morning hours as festivities usually peak at midnight. Drivers that had too much too drink get on the road with those that are driving drowsy to create a very dangerous situation.  Over 40 percent of all fatal car accidents that happen on New Year’s Eve involve alcohol.

How to Avoid Drunk Driving

There are many ways people can avoid becoming a victim of a drunk driving car accident over the holidays, including the following:

• Designate a sober driver before festivities begin.
• Be sure to eat food while drinking alcoholic beverages and stop drinking several hours before you plan to head home.
• Serve a variety of food to encourage eating.
• Stop serving alcohol at parties and festive events two hours before the end of the celebration.
• Utilize ride sharing services from Uber and Lyft to avoid driving under the influence.
• Intervene if someone is attempting to get behind the wheel while they are intoxicated. It is better to lose a friend to anger than to death.
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.
• Provide accommodations or make reservations for overnight stays.
• Be sure to get adequate sleep before getting behind the wheel.

Allegheny County Car Accident Lawyers at AlpernSchubert P.C. Help Drunk Driving Car Accident Victims Claim Compensation

If you were injured in a car accident with a drunk driver, call the Allegheny County car accident lawyers at AlpernSchubert P.C. today. Call us at 412-765-1888 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today. Located in Pittsburgh, we serve clients throughout western Pennsylvania, including Allegheny County, Lawrence County, and Washington County.