How to Avoid Drunk Driving Accidents During the Holiday Season

December 14, 2021

Drunk driving accidents don’t take a break for holidays, sadly. The coming days of Thanksgiving and Christmas are all about spreading happiness and celebration. Family outings, gathering at a relative’s place, and night outs are all very common during this holiday season. Such gatherings involve games, delicious meals, desserts, beverages, and much more. However, many of us have aligned our holidays and celebrations with the consumption of alcohol.

Today is the prime time to rethink and reassess your future strategies and how you are going to avoid drunk driving accidents in Columbia, SC, and ensure you and your family reach home safely.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there were approximately 10,142 fatalities from drunk-driving accidents in 2019.

Seasonal Spike in Injuries:

It is estimated that drunk driving accidents account for about 30% of deaths on a highway on any given day during the year. However, around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the statistics spike to over 40%, for which alcohol consumption plays a major role. It is responsible for nearly 60% of total roadway deaths.

Planning:

Being prepared is an essential factor to evade drunk driving accidents in this Thanksgiving season. Being prepared may have varying definitions for different people. For some people, being prepared might mean that they have to drink a small amount of alcohol which does not make them drunk. However, for some people, being prepared means that they should not drink at all and safely get home to their families.

There can be certain alternatives and any person in the family could be appointed to remain sober and drive everyone back home. This could be a parent or an elder sibling. Such a person should be willing to make several trips back and forth and ensure that every single person reaches their destination without a scratch.

A similar alternative to this situation is calling ride-hailing cabs, such as Lyft or Uber. This is also a viable option. Such services may seem costly to some people; however, the cost of a DUI injury or ticket is much more than the fares of these cab services.

Columbia Drunk Driving Accidents Attorneys Recommend Having a Backup Plan:

There are often uncertainties and setbacks when planning for a family trip having a long itinerary. Such setbacks can hit you hard if the designated driver gets sick or backs out for some reason. Because of this, it is highly likely that you are nominated for being the new driver responsible for the journey.

Whatever the case is, it is possible that only one drink makes you dizzy and there is nobody else capable of driving. In such scenarios, it is advised to always call an Uber or wait out till you are feeling better and sober.

Is Drunk Driving a Civil or Criminal Case?

Law enforcement officers are cognizant of the fact that drunk driving accidents dramatically increase during holiday seasons, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Therefore, in an attempt to curb these incidents, they tighten any loopholes and double their efforts. However, it is unrealistic to think that law enforcement agencies are able to stop all collisions caused by alcohol usage.

Our local police are well equipped and have the required tools to conduct field sobriety tests and breathalyzer tests in order to determine whether the driver was intoxicated or not at the time of the collision. This causes them to have gathered enough evidence to arrest the suspect. Therefore, you should always call the police. After the arrest, the drivers will face charges depending upon the damages and injuries they caused to the victim. They will be charged upon operating while intoxicated.

Drunk-driving accident victims might not be adequately compensated if the driver at fault is convicted of a DUI. Such conviction might penalize the driver with jail time and fines but does not do much to reimburse the losses of the victims. Filing a claim in a civil court in order to be reimbursed for your financial losses is not a piece of cake. You will be requiring the services of a qualified professional to win an insurance claim.

You can seek recovery for your out-of-pocket expenses such as:

  • Past and future health expenses
  • Any wages that might be lost or impaired future earning potential
  • Emotional or physical stress and trauma
  • Permanent disability

How a Columbia Car Accident Attorney Can Assist You:

Our lawyers at Conwell Law are a team that consists of professional Columbia car accident lawyers. Get in touch with our team today for a swift resolution of your legal matter.