Many Michigan residents celebrate New Year’s Eve by going to parties and drinking alcohol. If you plan to drive on this holiday, you should be especially cognizant of drunk drivers. Every year, the drunk driving fatality rate rises around New Year’s Eve.
Drunk drivers kill 10,000 people a year
Drunk driving motor vehicle accidents across the U.S. cause around 10,000 deaths every year. On average, almost 30 people die every day because of a drunk driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the average number of drunk driving fatalities usually goes up to around 54 on New Year’s Eve alone.
There is also a lot of drunk driving in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve. Between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, 40% of fatal accidents involve drivers who were impaired by alcohol.
Stay safe on the roads this New Year’s Eve
This New Year’s Eve, there are many things you can do to avoid being involved in a crash with a drunk driver. The first thing you can do is to plan to never drink and drive. If you are going to be drinking alcohol, you should have a plan to get a ride from a sober friend or use a ridesharing service or taxi.
Driving on New Year’s Eve requires your full focus. If you are going to be driving this year, there are likely to be some drunk drivers sharing the road with you. Drive the speed limit, maintain a safe following distance and limit your distractions so that you can be prepared to take evasive action. If you can drive defensively and spot drunk drivers ahead of time, you’ll be in a much better position than if you get surprised by them.
