The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently advertising their Cinco-de-Mayo-themed public safety campaign aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. Cinco de Mayo and the subsequent holiday weekend have become synonymous with festivities, partying and excessive drinking. This year, the NHTSA is calling on partygoers to make a plan before they go out, designate and driver and watch out for friends. They also want partygoers to know that buzzed driving is drunk driving. If you plan on celebrating Cinco de Mayo with alcohol, don’t get behind the wheel.
Cinco de Mayo Holiday Crash Facts
- From 2010-2014, there were 268 people killed in drunk-driving crashes over the Cinco de Mayo holiday period.
- During the Cinco de Mayo holiday period in 2014, 33 people were killed in drunk driving crashes.
- In 2014, there were 343 crash fatalities during the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend.
- One out of three people lost their lives in drunk-driving crashes that weekend.
- Over the 2014 Cinco de Mayo holiday period, almost one-fifth (18 percent) of drivers in fatal crashes had BACs of .15 or higher, almost twice the legal limit.
Plan Ahead for a Safe Ride Home
The best way to ensure you’re covered after a night of partying is to make a plan before you go out. Designate a driver, and have a backup plan too, because your initial plan could fall through. A backup plan can be as simple as pre-programming a cab company’s number into your phone or downloading a rideshare app. No matter what, don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking. If you have to, stay on a friend’s couch or ask for help in arranging a safe ride home. If you’ve only had ‘a couple of drinks,’ you still need a safe ride home. Buzzed driving is drunk driving, and even one drink can be one drink too many under certain conditions. Don’t risk your life or the lives of others.
Drunk Driving Accidents in Wichita Falls
If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident involving a drunk driver, you need to speak with a skilled personal injury attorney as soon as possible about your case. The whole team at the Altman Legal Group wishes everybody in Texoma a Safe and Happy Cinco de Mayo!