St. Patrick's Day Safe Driving Tips
Like New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day is an annual celebration. And like New Year’s Eve, it’s a holiday that is strongly associated with alcohol. This year it falls on a Friday, which means for many who won't be going to work on Saturday (and some who will!), the green beer will be flowing into the early hours of the morning. While a fun holiday known for its bar hopping and four leaf clovers, St. Patrick's Day is unfortunately also known by accident attorneys as a day of serious drunk driving crashes. If you or a loved one is injured in a drunk driving accident that was not your fault, know that California law and the experienced accident attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm are on your side.
St. Patrick’s Day statistics for drunk driving
St. Patrick’s Day is the fourth-most popular drinking holiday in the U.S., trailing New Year’s Eve, Christmas and Independence Day and the most dangerous time to be on the road is reportedly between midnight and 5:59 a.m., so be vigilant and if you drink, enjoy that green beer responsibly.
Despite the strong tradition of drinking on St. Patrick’s Day (and the tradition is a legitimate one -- the story goes that churches in Ireland lift the Lent restrictions on alcohol just for St Pat!), many celebrants do not plan ahead in terms of drinking and driving. Indeed, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department offers partygoers the following advice: “Get ahead of the decision this year. If you know you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with alcohol, then figure out a plan ahead of time for how you’ll get home. Don’t wait until you’re too buzzed to decide, and don’t let your friends drive drunk.”
Safe driving tips
To help prevent drunk driving-related car accidents, arrests and fatalities, our knowledgeable legal team has provided the following tips for St. Patrick’s Day road safety:
- Designate a driver. That could be a sober friend or an Uber driver! It is important that you designate a sober, reliable driver to get you home safely from the party or bar.
- Don't drink and drive. If you’re planning on driving, commit to staying sober.
- Keep your eyes open. If you see someone who is drunk attempt to get behind the wheel, take their keys. If worse comes to worse, call 911 and give a description of the vehicle to law enforcement. With one-third of all U.S. car crash fatalities involving drunk drivers, it is your business — as getting drunk drivers off the roads saves lives.
- Choose the road less traveled. Less cars often mean fewer accidents. If you must be on the roads this evening, pick a quieter route home.
- Pedestrians must stay vigilant too. Many innocent pedestrians are injured or killed by drunk drivers. Avoid busy intersections and streets.
For more information on how to have a safe St. Patty's Day, or to discuss your legal rights and potential for financial recovery after being injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact the skilled accident attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm today for a free consultation.
