The holiday season is quickly approaching. This means more time with family, feasts, drinking, and travel. While all of that is great to look forward to, the holiday season also sees an uptick in DUI arrests. We’ve put together a list of some facts about DUI over Thanksgiving weekend and what you can do to avoid becoming part of the statistics.
DUI Over Thanksgiving
One of the most dangerous times for drinking and driving actually occurs before Thanksgiving Day. The day before Thanksgiving has been coined Blackout Wednesday due to the amount of heavy drinking that occurs the night before the big Thanksgiving Day feast. If you’ve gone out on this night in the past, you know how crowded the bars and streets are. On Blackout Wednesday, beer and hard liquor sales increase by over 100%.
Over Thanksgiving weekend:
- Over 45 million people travel by car
- About 50% of people report drinking more alcohol than usual
- 29% of all traffic fatalities involve a drunk driver
This trend of increased drinking and driving continues throughout the holiday season. On average, 29 people die in DUI accidents each day. From Blackout Wednesday to New Year’s Day, that number increases significantly.
Stay Safe, Don’t Get A DUI
You don’t want to become a statistic this upcoming weekend.
Stay safe:
- Don’t Drink and Drive: even if you believe you’ve waited enough time, you don’t want to risk it. If you’ve had anything to drink at all that night, avoid getting behind the wheel.
- Call an Uber: ridesharing apps make it easier than ever to get a safe ride home. Remember that the cost of an Uber is minuscule compared to the cost of a DUI.
- Have a Plan: go into the night knowing how you are going to get home. Alcohol leads to increased risk-taking, and without a plan in place, you may be more tempted to drive home at the end of the night.
- Give Someone Your Keys: if you know you are the type of person who tries to justify driving home after drinking, give a friend your keys so that you don’t have the ability to make that choice.
Daytona Beach DUI Defense
We understand that mistakes happen, and that may lead to an unexpected DUI charge. If you are facing DUI charges this Thanksgiving weekend, give our team at Hager & Schwartz, P.A. a call at (386) 693-1637. We can help review the details of your arrest and determine the best course of action for your defense.