Friday, March 15, 2013

NHTSA Reminds Motorists to Avoid Drunk Driving on St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated this Sunday, March 17. Although it is not a legal holiday here in the U.S., it is widely recognized and observed as the celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture.

The celebratory mood of St. Patrick’s Day is filled with religious observances, especially among Catholics. Since the day falls on a weekend, it is expected that parades and festivals will draw large crowds, featuring the color green and the 3-leaved shamrock; two things associated with the saint.

Of course, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day involves plentiful amounts of alcohol. Unfortunately, the alcohol-filled mood induces drunk driving, resulting into accidents and eventual injuries and deaths to motorists. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol-impaired crashed claimed a life every 53 minutes during St. Patrick’s Day 2011.

Moreover, a third of the deaths that happened that time were due to drunk driving. On average, motor vehicle deaths as a result of alcoholism in 2011 stood at about 31 percent.

In this regard, the agency is urging the public to celebrate responsibly and never drive drunk. In its press statement released just recently, the NHTSA advices those who will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day to designate a sober driver before consuming alcohol at a local parade/festival or at a party with friends in a local bar.

The NHTSA even provided some helpful safety tips. Here are some of them:

•    Aside from designating a sober driver, it is also important to plan for an alternate transportation before starting the party.
•    If you cannot designate a sober driver, call a cab, friend, or family member to fetch you. You may also stay where you are and wait until you are sober enough to drive.
•    Don’t ever let your friend drive home drunk. Before the party, arrange a plan for them to get home.
•    Because there are drunk drivers on the road after the party, it is best to buckle up so that you can defend yourself against one of them on the road.

This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, keeping yourself safe is the best thing to do to avoid any injuries on the road because of drunk driving. For every Los Angeles car accident lawyer, drunk driving contributes to the injuries and deaths of many motorists and unsuspecting pedestrians. They are likewise reminding those who plan to go out this weekend to designate a sober driver.

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