The time is almost here for one of America’s favorite holidays. That’s right, St. Patrick’s Day is quickly approaching, and that means a couple of things for our clients in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. On this day, all of your favorite pubs, taverns, and bars will be stocked full of green beer, and every other Irish concoction you can think of, but the unfortunate truth about this holiday, is that the roads grow dangerous with drunk drivers. Nearly one-third of all vehicle-related fatalities in the United States are due to drinking and driving. Understanding the facts about the dangers of drunk driving are important, so here’s what you need to know going into the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
- The St. Patrick’s Day holiday is one of the deadliest holidays on our nation’s roads. Statistics pulled from 2012-2016 during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 pm on March 16 to 5:59 am on March 18), show that 269 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes.
- Throughout the whole year of 2016 more than 10,000 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes. Between midnight and 5:59 a.m on March 18, 2016, nearly three-fourths (69%) of crash fatalities involved a drunk driver.
- Choosing to walk home from the bar after pulling an Irish Exit? That can still be dangerous, as in 2016, 36% of pedestrians killed in crashes had blood alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher.
Making sure you have a plan when celebrating the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is important. If you know you are going to be attending a party and plan to drink, make sure you think ahead and arrange for a sober ride home. If you see a someone on the roads this St. Patrick’s Day holiday driving drunk, be sure to contact the police. Making sure our roads are safe to help make for a fun and enjoyable holiday for all, and if you do need representation for your upcoming legal battle, be sure to contact the Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C., the premier nursing home abuse lawyer in Camden County and Philadelphia car accident lawyer today!