The holiday season should be a time for festive celebrations and spending time with loved ones. Unfortunately, lives can change in an instant and holiday cheer can be destroyed when a motor vehicle accident happens.  The holiday season brings with it an increased risk of collisions caused by impaired drivers, and victims need to be aware of the laws that protect them when an injury or death occurs due to a drunk motorist. 

A Ft. Myers personal injury lawyer can provide legal representation to those hurt in collisions, as well as to the family members of those killed in drunk driving wrecks. Randall Spivey and his team know all too well that because impaired driving is illegal, the impairment can create a presumption of liability that can help those who have been hurt get the funds they need to move forward.

There’s a High Risk of DUI Accidents This Holiday Season

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) warns motorists of the added risks of crashes involving impaired drivers over Christmas and New Year’s. Over New Year’s alone, past statistics show that 143 people died due to drunk drivers in 2010; another 185 were killed in 2009 and 175 died in 2008. Impaired drivers caused 41 percent of traffic deaths over New Year’s in 2008; 40 percent of traffic fatalities over New Year’s in 2009 and 48 percent of traffic deaths over New Year’s in 2010. 

These statistics include the entire holiday weekend surrounding New Year’s Eve. When considering only deadly crashes on New Year’s Day and not the surrounding days, 57 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2010 involved a motorist who had consumed too much alcohol.

Risks are also high during Christmas, according to MADD. Christmas is defined as Christmas Eve and the holiday weekends surrounding the holiday. During this time period in 2008, 138 people were killed by impaired drivers.  This equates to 32 percent of all highway deaths. 

In 2009, there was a decline to 95 persons killed by impaired drivers, but this was actually a higher percentage of fatalities caused by impaired drivers since 36 percent of highway deaths happened due to intoxicated drivers.  Finally, in 2010, there were 96 people killed by drunk motorists, and these impaired drivers accounted for 37 percent of all highway fatalities.

MADD warns these holiday periods (along with Thanksgiving) are “some of the most dangerous days for drunk driving deaths,” and cautions that the situation appears to have gotten worse in recent years. There are many reasons why there are a higher number of DUI crashes during these times, including the fact that friends and family routinely gather and end up drinking. 

Regardless of why motorists make the choice to get behind the wheel impaired, however, they need to be held accountable if their choice harms others. A personal injury lawyer in Ft. Myers will help pursue a case against any impaired driver who hurt a victim or who caused a fatal car accident during the holidays. Contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. for help.