Holiday Drunk Driving Statistics You Need to Know

It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but tragically, for thousands of people it’s the deadliest. The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road – with the main reason being drunk drivers. Inebriated drivers are always a risk, of course, but with the increasing number of get-togethers during the holidays comes the increasing risk of encountering an inebriated motorist.

Arye P. Corbett has years of experience representing people who have been severely hurt, or lost loved ones, due to a drunk driver’s irresponsible decision to get behind the wheel. If you’ve been forced to suffer because of this form of extreme negligence, please get in touch with us as soon as possible for a free consultation. You can get in touch with our office online, or you can give us a call at 561-948-3700.

The following is some information that might surprise you regarding the prevalence of drunk driving during the holidays. 

Drunk Driving Fatalities are Much More Common Around the Holidays

As you might expect, the chances of being involved in a fatal accident due to drunk driving increase during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. 

You might not realize that the day before Thanksgiving can also be a risky time to be on the road. This is commonly referred to as “Blackout Wednesday” because a lot of people have parties with friends before they travel to be with their families. On Thanksgiving itself, people tend to have a few drinks while watching football after their meal. This can be a recipe for disaster. In 2019, 127 people across the U.S. died in accidents related to alcohol over the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Christmas can be just as deadly, if not more. Whether they go to work parties, gatherings with friends, or they decide to have a few drinks on Christmas Day, many people who don’t touch alcohol any other time of the year will have a drink. Tragically, 140 people lost their lives in drunk driving accidents on Christmas Day in 2019.

Drunk Driving Accidents are More Common at Nighttime, Especially on New Year’s Eve

The hours between midnight and 3 a.m. (mainly on weekends) are the most dangerous for driving, since most drunk driving accidents occur during this time frame. 

Surprisingly, the biggest party night of the year, New Year’s Eve, resulted in fewer deaths in 2019 – 123 – than Christmas. But that doesn’t mean it’s not still extremely dangerous. People will tend to party a little bit longer because they’re off the next day. Experts estimate that the chances that someone will cause a fatal accident while drunk on this night are up to 129% higher than normal, depending on the day of the week where New Year’s Eve falls.

Fatal Holiday Drunk Driving Accidents Occur on Highways and Local Streets Alike

If you think you’ll be safer staying off the highway during the holiday season, the numbers say otherwise. It’s true that 27% of fatal crashes during the holidays attributed to impaired driving occur on state highways. However, 25% take place on local streets, where most motorists would assume they’d be safer.

21-24 Year Olds are the Age Group Most Frequently Killed in Holiday Drunk Driving Accidents

You would think that younger people are at the highest risk of dying in a drunk driving accident, since they tend to drink more often than middle-age or older people. The numbers seem to bear that out. Drivers 21-24 years old make up 27% of all alcohol-related accident fatalities, followed closely by those in the 25-34 age range (25%). Drivers aged 45-54, on the other hand, make up 19% of fatalities, while the number for those aged 55-64 is 15%.

When it comes to gender, men are overwhelmingly more prone to drink driving fatalities than women. Not only are they 4 times more likely to be involved in an alcohol-related accident, they make up an astounding 80% of all drunk driving deaths. 

Plan Ahead if You’re Hosting a Holiday Party

So, how do you reduce the risk of people being involved in a drunk driving accident if you plan on having a party during the holidays that will include alcohol? It’s really not that hard if you do a little advanced planning.

Nobody sets out to hurt anyone when they have a few grown-up beverages, of course. A lot of them simply don’t have any idea how much alcohol it takes to cause impairment – especially if they don’t drink during other parts of the year. 

If you are going to host a get-together, here are a few tips to help keep your guests – and everyone else who will be sharing the road with them – as safe as possible.

• Make sure your guests have plenty of access to non-alcoholic drinks, such as fruit juices and water. When you drink alcohol, you get hydrated. These beverages can counteract that effect. Non-alcoholic fluids may also reduce the rate at which the body absorbs alcohol, and, as a result, reduce the rate at which alcohol concentrates in the blood.

• Also, make sure there’s plenty of food available. Snacks can also slow down alcohol absorption, as well as the amount of alcohol that gets into the bloodstream. Your guests will not only thank you for that, but also for the fact that eating while drinking can reduce the amount of gastrointestinal distress they feel the next day.

•  If you see a guest has had too much, call a ridesharing service or a taxi so they get home safe. You should also consider inviting some guests who will serve as designated drivers. 

What Should You Do If you’re Involved in a Drunk Driving Accident This Holiday Season?

There’s never a good time, of course, to be in an accident caused by a drunk driver. But it’s even worse when it happens during the holidays. If this has happened to you or a loved one, get in touch with attorney Arye P. Corbett. Schedule a free case review by contacting us online or calling 561-948-3700.