In 2011, 31% of fatal traffic crashes were drunk driving related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In fact, about 10,000 people die every year as a result of drunk driving-related crashes. It may come as no surprise that many of these drunk driving-related fatalities occur during the holiday season, a time that’s filled with holiday parties and other festivities, not to mention New Year’s Eve, the celebrations of which are centered around alcohol consumption.
The NHTSA estimates that 2 to 3 times more people die from drunk driving-related crashes during the holiday season, or the time period that lasts from Thanksgiving through New Years Day. Just check out these staggering statistics compiled by www.duiattorneyhome.com into a nifty infograph that you can share with friends and family during the holidays:
- 40% of fatal crashes that occurred during Thanksgiving 2011 involved alcohol
- 38% of all fatal crashes that occur during Christmas are alcohol related
- 54% of all fatal crashes that occur during New Years are alcohol related
In an effort to keep as many drunk drivers off the roads and save as many lives as possible, the NHTSA will run its annual holiday season impaired driving prevention campaign “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” which will take place from November 25 through December 13. Their enforcement campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” a national drunk driving enforcement crackdown that includes sobriety checkpoints, no-refusal weekends, and other enhanced enforcement activities, will run from December 13 through January 1.
Stay safe during the holiday season by following these safety tips:
- Never drink and drive. If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver, bring money for a cab, or make other safe travel arrangements before festivities begin.
- Know your limits and drink moderately if you decide to drink alcohol at holiday gatherings.
- Limit yourself to 1 drink per hour and be sure to eat plenty of food and drink at least 1 glass of water between every alcoholic beverage.
- Offer alcohol-free options if you’re hosting a party or other gathering or make it an alcohol-free event with festive non-alcoholic beverages.
- Don’t serve alcohol to your children or other underage guests.
- Avoid driving on the day of or the days surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, especially at night.