Thinking about drinking over the Labor Day holiday weekend? Then you might as well forget about driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced that it has joined efforts with law enforcement agencies throughout the nation, with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and with the National Center for DWI Courts to work to keep drunk drivers off of our streets over the holiday weekend.
It’s the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign and it’s going on nationwide. Statistics show that about 70 percent of traffic accident fatalities that happen over this holiday weekend involve a driver who was legally drunk behind the wheel, or had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.
From the 17th of August all the way through the Labor Day holiday weekend, more than 10,000 police departments across the nation will be supporting this campaign and searching for intoxicated drivers.
Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand how common drunk driving accidents are on our roadways, especially during holiday weekends. Labor Day weekend is one of the worst out of the entire year. In 2010, officials tallied that there were close to 10,500 traffic fatalities resulting from accidents in which an intoxicated driver was involved. These kinds of accidents accounted for about a third of all accident deaths. On an average of every 51 minutes, someone was killed in an alcohol-related car accident in the U.S. during that year.
“Drunk driving remains a serious, unacceptable threat to our families and our communities. Our campaign is clear – if you choose to drive drunk, you will be held accountable,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.
In about 70 percent of the drunk driving accidents recorded in 2010, at least one driver had a BAC of .15 or higher. Overall, the most common BAC involved in these accidents was .18. That’s more than twice the legal limit.
If you’re going out this Labor Day weekend, we’re asking you to go out with responsibility as a top priority. There’s no reason not to have a few drinks and enjoy time with friends and family members, but there is no reason to drive after doing so. There are so many safe ways for you to get home, but you need to make it your personal responsibility to find these ways. It’s always a good idea to go out with a designated driver. This is someone who pledges to remain completely sober, not consuming a drop of alcohol. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Remember, you can always call a cab, take the T, ride the bus, call a friend or a family member or even stay at a safe location. With all of these options, there’s never to get behind the wheel and risk being pulled over and arrested or being involved in a potentially fatal accident.
The Law Office of Jeffrey S. Glassman, LLC offers assistance to those who have been injured in a drunk driving accident. Call (617) 777-7777 today to discuss your case.
More Blog Entries:
Increased Patrols Busting More Drunk Drivers in Massachusetts, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 6, 2012
Officials Work to Keep Young Drivers from Drinking, Protecting Victims’ Rights, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 1, 2012