Author: Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP
During any nationwide holiday, motorists should take extra driving precautions. Too much partying can lead to drunken driving accidents, something that no one wants to experience and especially when they are out having a good time.
The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) reports that 9,878 people died in 2011 in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. The determining factor of whether an accident is considered alcohol-impaired is whether the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) reached levels of .08 or higher. Thirty-one percent of U.S. 2011 traffic accident fatalities were alcohol-related. Also, of those fatalities, 66 percent of them involved drivers whose BAC tested .08 or higher. Twenty-seven percent of these fatalities were vehicle occupants and the remaining seven percent were not vehicle occupants.
According to NHTSA’s study of the period between 1975 and 2002, the most dangerous days of the year for pedestrians coincided with winter holidays and were December 23 and January 1, followed by October 31, which was related to Halloween. Based on this study, the six U.S. holidays when traffic fatalities reach the highest numbers are New Year’s, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you or a loved one suffers injury because of someone else’s negligence in an alcohol-related car accident, consult a Long Island auto accident lawyer about the prospects of taking legal action. Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP has decades of experience handling cases that involve drunk driving and other types of negligence. We can help you recover compensation for damages.
