Many Americans consider Labor Day weekend to be the last holiday of the summer and the unofficial end of the season before fall sets in later in September. People certainly take full advantage, hitting the roads to escape for a long weekend to visit family and friends and to attend barbecues and parties.
It may come as no surprise that Labor Day is one of the deadliest holidays of the year for DUI crashes. About 40 percent of all traffic deaths over Labor Day weekend in 2015 involved alcohol consumption. With many people attending cookouts and parties during the day and driving home later in the afternoon or evening, there is a similar problem to the 4th of July in which you have a lot of people hitting the road after having already consumed alcohol.
Whenever you are out celebrating a holiday and plan to consume alcohol, it’s important to do so with a plan so you can keep the roadways safe for everyone. Here are just a few tips:
- Have a plan to get home safely, whether it be with a sober driver, a ridesharing service, public transportation or simply staying overnight so you can drive home sober in the morning.
- If you cannot find a safe way home, it is always better to inconvenience yourself and your friends or family by staying the night than it is to chance it on the road and risk the lives of yourself others.
- Pace yourself and avoid overconsumption during the day. It’s easy for drinking to result in dehydration during the day when you’re out in the hot sun. Avoid drinking too much alcohol and make sure you’re putting water into your system.
Never, ever get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol — keep the roads safe for everyone, and have a good holiday weekend.
For the guidance you need if you’ve been struck by a negligent or intoxicated motorist, speak with an experienced Bradenton car accident lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.