As Thanksgiving approaches, people will be excited to pull out their choice
wines and enjoy a lavish meal along with some delicious alcohol. Unfortunately,
the presence of alcohol at Thanksgiving celebrations leads to a greater
amount of DWIs. According to the
Dallas News, the state of Texas is creating a DWI task force which will tackle this
problem out on the roads by adding extra patrols and being vigilant to
catch intoxicated drivers. Last December, the Dallas County Commissioner
said that the county would be revitalizing their DWI task force. The program
has been preventing
drunk driving for years, but has been less active recently. The commissioner said that
she wants to employ this valuable resource once again. She has also recruited
police forces and organizations to pitch in and help the task force. She
hopes that the extra patrols may help to lessen the amount of drivers
and arrests this holiday weekend.
According to
DUI Life Tips, Thanksgiving is the holiday with the largest amount of drunk driving
fatalities every year. This is contrary to popular belief, as most people
think that New Years’ Eve is the number one DUI night of the year.
Yet people tend to let their guard down when they are surrounded by family,
and drinking can become a central activity at family gatherings like Thanksgiving
dinner. Because cars are often full with entire families on Thanksgiving,
a drunk driver may cause a multiplicity of
deaths if driving under the influence. People should think twice before consuming
wine with their turkey dinner or swallowing a few beers while watching
the sports games on TV. Leave the alcohol for another day when you are
at your own home and do not need to transport family to and from a Thanksgiving
gathering. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis says that young
party-goers between 21 and 24 are the most common culprits when it comes
to alcohol-impaired driving.
According to Addiction, the span of time between Thanksgiving and New Years’
Day is the number one most popular time to locate drunk drivers out on
the road. This is because of the abundance of holiday parties complete
with alcoholic beverages during this time. Police warn that while you
should enjoy your parties, it is essential to drive responsibly.
Forbes claims that almost half of all fatalities on Thanksgiving Day involve
alcohol. Last year, 502 people were killed on Thanksgiving Day when they
were driving home from a feast that undoubtedly included wine, beer, or
a cocktail. The AAA says that more than 50% more drivers on the road have
a higher-than-usual BAC because they have been drinking on that day.
While not all drivers may have an illegal BAC, this does not change the
fact that they may not be in a position to safely drive a vehicle. On
typical day, about 102 people die in alcohol-related car accidents in
the United States of America. When Thanksgiving brought on 502 car accident
fatalities, people were shocked to think that this is almost 5 times the
daily average. In addition to the fact that more people are inhibited
by alcohol on Thanksgiving, there are more cars on the road. An AAA representative
says that more vehicles create a greater potential for danger. The Research
and Innovative Technology Administration says that about 91 percent of
all Americans will travel by car to reach their destination this Thanksgiving.
During Thanksgiving, the number of Americans that are on road trips increases
by 54%. The number of trips increases by 23% during Christmas and New
Year’s Day. RITA says that the average Thanksgiving road trip is
about 214 miles, and the average Christmas or New Year’s trip is
275 miles. In many cases, Christmas and New Year’s travel rates
are contingent on what day the holiday falls on. If Christmas is on a
weekend, then chances are that the travel rates will increase. Because
Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, the
Department of Transportation says that they can rely on an abundance of travel that weekend.
Despite the tragic amount of alcohol-related deaths surrounding Thanksgiving
last year, the Department of Transportation says that the statistics dropped
from previous Thanksgivings. The national average for traffic-related
deaths is 556. Last year, the Department of Transportation observed that
high gas prices may have discouraged some families from travelling for
the holidays. This year, with lower gas prices as encouragement, the Department
of Transportation expects that there will be more fatalities than last
year brought. Even non-fatal crashes will take their toll in America this
year. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Association says that motor vehicle crashes cost American taxpayers more than $100
billion each year. An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety insider claims
that about $36 billion is paid out annually in insurance claims.
All of this to say, police will be vigilant in looking for intoxicated
drivers this holiday weekend. If you choose to drink and drive, then you
may end up under arrest, and will spend a very un-festive holiday in the
county jail. If this happens to you, then you are going to need the help
of an accomplished
Houston DWI attorney such as Christian C. Samuelson from The Samuelson Law Firm. Mr. Samuelson
is dedicated to defending the DWI suspects of Houston in any case that
they are facing. Check out the firm on
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