Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog
Officials with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) are going to be setting up shop in Middlesex County and hunting down drunk drivers through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
They’ll be out in full force from Friday, November 23rd through Saturday, November 24th. According to the Weltham Patch, the checkpoints that officers will be setting up will be used “to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public’s awareness to the need of detecting and removing those motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.”
Our Boston drunk driving car accident lawyers understand that our roadways are going to be packed over the holiday weekend. Officials with AAA say that there are going to be more than 43.5 million Americans who will be traveling 50 miles or more from their home over the holiday. Parents are getting out of work, students are getting out of school and visitors are flocking to the area. With the increase in traffic, we’re also going to see an increase in the risks for car accidents. Not only are we going to see some poor driving habits, but we’re also expecting some drunk drivers. It goes hand in hand with holidays.
Thanksgiving is one of the most dangerous holidays during the entire year for these kinds of accidents. This is especially relevant when the sun sets. Most drunk driving accidents happen at nighttime and during weekends.
Of the millions of travelers, about 90 percent of them will be traveling by motor vehicle. That means there are going to be more than 39 million Americans behind the wheel over this long weekend. And that means there’s that many more intoxicated drivers. If alcohol is involved in your Turkey Day celebrations, make sure you have a plan. You need a plan to get home safely or you need a safe place to stay. If you’re one of the sober ones during this time, you’re not free from danger. You’ve got to be on your best behavior behind the wheel to identify and avoid those less responsible.
In 2009, there were close to 350 traffic accident fatalities in the state of Massachusetts. Close to 40 percent of these fatalities involved a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
Please review the following safety tips to help keep our roadways safe over the holiday weekend:
-Before heading out, make sure you have a sober way to get home. Designate a driver.
-If you don’t have a sober driver, you can call a taxi, you can use public transportation, you can call a friend or a family member for a ride or you can find a safe place to stay.
-Remember that your designated driver should have had nothing to drink. A designated driver isn’t the person who has had the least to drink.
-Report anyone on our roadways who you believe may be intoxicated. Call 9-1-1!
If you or someone in your family has been involved in a drunk driving car crash, call the Law Office of Jeffrey S. Glassman, LLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Massachusetts Going too Easy on Drunk Drivers, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, November 14, 2012
Massachusetts DUI Accidents a November-December Risk, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, November 3, 2012