Holidays and Drunk Driving Accidents

We are now in the thick of the holiday season, the time of year when we take time out to celebrate life with those closest to us. This is clearly one of the most joyous times of the year, but all this celebration also means more alcohol consumption and more drunk drivers out on the roadways.

DUI violations increase sharply during the holidays. On Thanksgiving Day, they increase by an average of 31%. On Christmas Eve, they increase by nearly 50%, and on New Year’s Eve, they go up by over 100%. The sad result of these increases is a spike in drunk driving accidents.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were just under 900 DUI-related fatalities in December of 2017, and almost 300 fatalities between the week of Christmas and New Year’s alone. Overall, as many as two in five car accident fatalities that happen during the Christmas season involved a drunk driver, and December is the second deadliest month for DUI-related fatalities (with only July being higher).

Penalties for Drunk Driving in Mississippi

Drunk driving is a serious criminal offense in Mississippi. If you are caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, you may be facing some severe penalties, which may include heavy fines, loss of driving privileges, community service, and even jail time. Even a first offense can land you in jail for up to 48 hours and result in a minimum 90-day driver’s license suspension. Not to mention higher insurance rates and the stigma of having a criminal conviction on your record. Penalties may also be enhanced if there are aggravated circumstances, such as a DUI accident with serious injuries or fatalities.

The criminal and administrative penalties for drunk driving are bad enough, but they pale in comparison to the consequences of severely injuring or killing someone as a result. Not only would you be financially responsible for untold amounts in damages, but you would also have to live with the lifelong regret of having caused another person to suffer because of your actions.

Tips for Staying Safe During the Holidays

Injuries and deaths from DUI accidents are a preventable tragedy, but if we all do our part, we can avoid this horrific scenario and still enjoy the many wonderful blessings of this season.

Here are some steps to take to protect yourself and your family during the holidays:

Plan your Travel Times Carefully

There are certain times during the holiday season when there will be more drunk drivers out on the road. This tends to be the case later at night and on weekends, and as mentioned earlier, on days like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. Take some time to plan ahead before you drive and try to avoid being out on the road during the most dangerous times.

Be on the Lookout for Drunk Drivers

Even with careful planning, there is still a good chance that at times, you will be sharing the roads with drunk drivers. Learn to recognize the signs that another driver is chemically impaired, so you can steer clear of them. These may include:

• Speeding excessively or driving very slowly;
• Weaving, swerving, or drifting from their lane;
• Straddling over the center line in the road;
• Braking erratically without any reason to do so;
• Driving on the wrong side of the road;
• Making wide, abrupt, and/or illegal turns.

If you see any of these or other common signs of drunk driving, call 911 and report the behavior. Give the operator the description and location of the vehicle as well as the vehicle license plate number (if possible).

Plan Ahead if you Plan to Drink

If you know that you will be drinking at a restaurant, bar, casino, or holiday party, plan ahead to ensure that you are not in a position where you might end up driving drunk. Have a designated driver along, and if you do not have one, plan to call a cab or a ride sharing service like Uber to get home. If you are going to be a significant distance from home, consider reserving a hotel or motel room nearby where you can safely spend the night.

Monitor the Behavior of your Teens

If you have teenage children, you will need to keep a close eye on what they are doing during the holidays as well. Take the time to find out in detail what their plans are, where they are going, who they are going to be with, and how they plan to get home if they have been drinking. Be sure that they fully understand the importance of having a designated driver, planning to get a cab or Uber if they need a ride home, or just crashing at a friend’s house. You may also want to make an agreement with them to come and pick them up if they are in a situation where they cannot get home safely any other way.

Be a Responsible Social Host

If you are hosting a holiday party where alcohol will be consumed, be sure to also have plenty of food on hand as well as non-alcoholic beverages. Do not allow any guests who are under the age of 21 to drink, or you could be on the hook if they drive while intoxicated and cause injury to someone else. Finally, be prepared to allow guests to spend the night or arrange a safe ride home if they have had too much to drink and cannot drive.

Happy Holidays from the Gardner Law Firm – Stay Safe Out There!