The holiday season is here, and while this means that most of us
will be enjoying warm evenings together with family, abundant feasts and
the joyful exchange of presents, it also means that many people will
end up suffering serious injuries or even being killed in car accidents.
It is a tragic and well-established fact that the number of people who
die in traffic collisions sees a sharp spike during the holidays, and
most particularly in the period between Christmas and New Year's Day.
The primary reason for this dramatic upswing can be traced to one
factor: drinking and driving. Greater numbers of people make the serious
and often fatal mistake of getting behind the wheel after drinking
alcohol. Some of them are people who have a serious drinking problem,
while others have simply had too much to drink at a party or family
gathering. Whatever the case, the results are frequently life-changing
or even deadly.
Holiday Drunk Driving Statistics
Driving under the influence of alcohol presents a major health hazard and a danger to the public safety at any time of the year, but this is especially true during the Christmas and New Year's period. In fact, a shocking 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents during this time of year occur in accidents in which at least one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol, as compared with 28 percent during the rest of December. Overall, the number of people who lose their lives in alcohol related traffic collisions jumps by a factor of two to three during the end of year holidays. With such alarming statistics as these, one is left wondering why anyone would take the chance of getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, let alone driving at all over the holidays.
Why People Take the Risk
Practically nobody ever decides to drive drunk. The vast majority of people who are arrested for DUI or who end up causing an accident after drinking and driving never made a conscious decision that drinking and driving would be the best course of action for them to take. On the contrary, most, if not all, of drunk drivers are under the mistaken assumption that they are OK to drive. Even when the person is aware of feeling a little tipsy, he or she will typically brush aside any concerns over whether or not it is safe to drive. This is due in part to the fact that alcohol operates initially as a stimulant. People who drink will at first feel something of a buzz. This does not mean, however, that the person is more alert or a better driver. Actually, at this point the alcohol already begins to impair the person's judgment and critical thinking abilities.
Another common reason that people drive drunk is that they fail to understand how long it takes for a drink to fully pass through the body. You may be done drinking the moment that you put the last bottle down, but the alcohol is not done with you. Realize that the beverage will sit in your stomach for some time being digested before the alcohol finally enters your bloodstream, at which point it begins to have an intoxifying effect on your body. Drinking water or coffee or taking a cold shower will not sober anyone up. They may fight off drowsiness, but the only thing that can get the alcohol out of one's bloodstream is the process of metabolism which can take hours.
Avoid a Drunk Driving Accident
Reports from PR Newswire indicate that people should be fully aware of the risks of drinking and driving at all times of the year, but this is even more important during the holidays when a fatal DUI traffic collision is statistically more likely to occur. Don't take the chance of driving drunk, and keep a friend from doing so. Even if you don't have a designated driver, spend the money to call a cab--the price of a taxi fare is nowhere near the potential costs of a drunk driving accident.
Holiday Drunk Driving Statistics
Driving under the influence of alcohol presents a major health hazard and a danger to the public safety at any time of the year, but this is especially true during the Christmas and New Year's period. In fact, a shocking 40 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents during this time of year occur in accidents in which at least one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol, as compared with 28 percent during the rest of December. Overall, the number of people who lose their lives in alcohol related traffic collisions jumps by a factor of two to three during the end of year holidays. With such alarming statistics as these, one is left wondering why anyone would take the chance of getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, let alone driving at all over the holidays.
Why People Take the Risk
Practically nobody ever decides to drive drunk. The vast majority of people who are arrested for DUI or who end up causing an accident after drinking and driving never made a conscious decision that drinking and driving would be the best course of action for them to take. On the contrary, most, if not all, of drunk drivers are under the mistaken assumption that they are OK to drive. Even when the person is aware of feeling a little tipsy, he or she will typically brush aside any concerns over whether or not it is safe to drive. This is due in part to the fact that alcohol operates initially as a stimulant. People who drink will at first feel something of a buzz. This does not mean, however, that the person is more alert or a better driver. Actually, at this point the alcohol already begins to impair the person's judgment and critical thinking abilities.
Another common reason that people drive drunk is that they fail to understand how long it takes for a drink to fully pass through the body. You may be done drinking the moment that you put the last bottle down, but the alcohol is not done with you. Realize that the beverage will sit in your stomach for some time being digested before the alcohol finally enters your bloodstream, at which point it begins to have an intoxifying effect on your body. Drinking water or coffee or taking a cold shower will not sober anyone up. They may fight off drowsiness, but the only thing that can get the alcohol out of one's bloodstream is the process of metabolism which can take hours.
Avoid a Drunk Driving Accident
Reports from PR Newswire indicate that people should be fully aware of the risks of drinking and driving at all times of the year, but this is even more important during the holidays when a fatal DUI traffic collision is statistically more likely to occur. Don't take the chance of driving drunk, and keep a friend from doing so. Even if you don't have a designated driver, spend the money to call a cab--the price of a taxi fare is nowhere near the potential costs of a drunk driving accident.
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