Do Not Drink and Drive this Holiday Season

Drunk drivers are on the roads every day in Arizona, and unfortunately, they often cause car accidents that can lead to injuries among those involved. While a crash with a drunk driver can happen at any time, certain days of the week, hours of the day, and times of the year are more likely to see collisions than others.

The next few weeks are more likely to see drunk driving accidents than most other times of the year. Across the country, many Americans will be celebrating holidays with those that they love, and a lot of those celebrations will involve alcohol. And if prior years are any indication, some of those individuals will take to the roads after drinking and will drive contrary to and in violation of Phoenix laws that ban impaired or drunk drivers from operating a car. These motorists will risk not only their own safety but the safety of others in their vehicles, drivers in other cars, and even pedestrians or bicyclists near their vehicles simply by choosing to drink and drive.

The risks surrounding the holiday season are known to officials associated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as well, and in an effort to curb this expected conduct, the NHTSA is launching a new campaign to remind drivers to refrain from driving drunk this year. As part of the campaign, a new commercial is being aired before showings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, an anticipated Hollywood blockbuster that is expected to reach tens of millions of Americans.

The commercial will also be aired on cable television beginning this week and continuing through New Year’s Day, another significant time that drunk drivers may be on the roadways. Experts encourage all motorists to evaluate their decisions before driving and to never drive if they have been drinking alcohol. Instead, consider using a designated sober driver, a taxi cab, public transit like the light rail, or walk to your destination if you have been drinking.

The year 2014 saw just over a one percent decrease in drunk driving fatalities in America, a step in the right direction but not a big enough change as 9,967 people were still killed in crashes involving alcohol. Among those incidents, in more than 2/3 of collisions, an impaired driver had a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher – nearly twice the legal limit in every state in the nation, including Arizona where intoxication is presumed at .08.

The victims of Maricopa County car accidents often are entitled to seek financial compensation for the damages they sustained, and in the tragic even that someone is killed, that victim’s surviving family members may be entitled to relief even though no amount of money can ever be adequate for the loss of a life. Talking with a personal injury attorney can help you realize whether you have a claim and what steps must be taken to preserve your rights.

The law firm of Abels & Annes, P.C. only represents injury victims and their family members and we are standing by 24 hour a day to help you. We offer a case consultation without cost or obligation to those who call us toll free at (855) PHX-LAWYER or locally at (602) 819-5191 and everything discussed during the consultation will be kept confidential.

If you have questions, know that we have answers. Call Abels & Annes, P.C. now and let us fight for your right to a settlement.

Prior Blog Entry:

Aging Drivers in Phoenix: What to Know, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published December 18, 2015.

Resource:

U.S. DOT reminds Americans to ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ this holiday season, by Jose Alberto Ucles, NHTSA, published December 17, 2015.