DUI On New Year Eve
During the Holiday season, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doubles down on their anti-drunk driving initiatives to curb instances of New Year’s Eve DUI. This is because the data and statistics on traffic fatalities during the holidays are significantly higher than what is usually reported on average.
But how many DUIs on New Year’s Eve?
In December 2020, the NHTSA reported that 937 roadway deaths occurred due to drinking and driving. This further underscores the importance of conscious driving.
This does not even include the number of people arrested who were found guilty of driving high, which falls under the wide umbrella of “driving under the influence” even though people may not consider it as such.
What day of the year has the most DUI arrests?
In 2021, there were a whopping 22 roadway deaths on New Year’s Eve alone, followed by 495 impaired drivers arrested for driving under the influence per the California Highway Patrol. This is concerning. Note that the overall average of roadway deaths nationwide is 32.
The California Highway Patrol’s figures on the New Year Eve roadway deaths alone make up for more than half of the figures of daily roadway deaths nationwide. This cements a widely known fact: that people are a lot more vulnerable to DUI fatalities on New Year’s Eve.
As we turn over a new leaf, it’s important that we adhere to several roadway precautions to keep ourselves, our loved ones, as well as those around us on the road safe. The holiday season is supposed to be a joy-filled time devoid of needless and preventable deaths. This, however, is not the current reality that we live in. But we can work towards it!
Following these actionable steps is a step in the right direction:
1. Don’t drink and drive
There have been numerous instances of drinking and driving since 2015, signifying that the endeavor to eliminate traffic fatalities altogether by 2025, as outlined by the Vision Zero Initiative, is not working.
As mentioned before, DUI fatalities are a lot more prevalent in the holidays, in particular, during the New Year. This suggests that the figures on roadway deaths during this day may be a lot higher than what is usually reported on average.
Save your life as well as someone else’s by not drinking and driving. Alcohol impedes your judgment, and the accidents born out of them are often fatal, catastrophic, and life-altering.
2. Ask your friend if you can crash on their couch
New Year’s is best spent with friends and loved ones. You won’t have to worry about engaging in awkward small talks with complete strangers. Perhaps most importantly, you’d be more inclined to ask the party host if it’s okay for you to stay the night and crash on their couch when you get too drunk to drive.
Even if you don’t know the host or hostess well enough to do that, you should go ahead and ask anyway. A mark of a good host is shown in their preparation for situations such as these: one in which their guests may need to stay over. A good host would likely let you stay over as it will ease whatever worries they may have on their guest’s safety.
3. Find another way to get home safely
If, for whatever reason, you are not able to stay over the host’s place of residence after the party, don’t take this as a sign to drive while you’re drunk. Rather, you should find an alternative solution to get home safely.
One way to ensure that you’re driving sober is by sleeping in your car momentarily while you wait for your blood alcohol concentration levels to go down. However, if you don’t trust yourself well enough to do that, go order an Uber or Lyft home. Afterwards, come back to your car in the morning.
4. Know your limits
If you plan to drink at the New Year’s party, you need to pace yourself especially if you plan to drive. The sure fire way of avoiding a DUI is to not drink alcohol. However, if you know yourself well enough, you should be able to gauge how much alcohol you can take.
With that being said, you should also stop yourself from drinking at a certain point in the party. Don’t take any more drinks when you know you’re about to drive. Give yourself ample time to sober up and drop your blood alcohol concentration so as to avoid a DUI conviction as well as an injury.
5. Don’t be afraid to say no
A holiday party may most likely consist of interesting sets of characters, a lot of which will force you to drink. If you run into these types of people, remain grounded and do not hesitate to say “no.” These people have your safety in the back of their minds.
Call Omega Law Group
The New Year signifies a new beginning, but for a lot of people it signifies the end— all because someone didn’t care enough to drink responsibly. No matter the number of precautions you take, the possibility of getting a life-altering injury, perhaps even a wrongful death, is unfortunately higher than average during the holidays.
Arm yourself with the best legal protection available. Call Omega Law Group.
The legal team at Omega Law Groups are experienced and qualified in matters relating to personal injury. With over a million dollars accrued in settlement amount in the years since they’ve been established, they have garnered recognition and attention for their commitment to innovation, quality legal care, and their clients.
Omega attorneys have been awarded accolades from prestigious organizations like SuperLawyers.com and Best Lawyers, and they’ve also been featured in publications like the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Business Journal. The latter of which has featured the firm in their headlines for their use of artificial intelligence in their case processes.
Fusing quality client care with equitable legal service, Omega Law Group remains firm in their decision to operate on a contingency fee basis to waive any upfront legal fees for those who may need their services. They believe that finances should not be a hindrance to a great legal representation. Schedule a free legal consultation now to learn more!