As Halloween 2014 comes and goes, we have officially entered the busy holiday season that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. This can be a crazy time of year as people travel to and from holiday gatherings at the homes of their families across town or across the country.
Unfortunately, along with this increase of travelling comes an increase in DUI arrests and events. Reports show a spike in DUI’s that coincide with each holiday. Along with arrests, DUI-involved accidents, deaths, taskforces and checkpoints also increase each year at this time.
Take Halloween for example. In 2011, almost 1400 drivers were arrested for DUI on Halloween throughout Arizona. That number dipped slightly in 2012 to 1100, but rose again in 2013 to 1200. We’re still waiting for the numbers for 2014.
Next up is Thanksgiving, which experts say can be one of the most dangerous holidays for drinking and driving. This is because of a few key factors:
- More travel – Because Thanksgiving is a more family centered holiday, people are more willing to travel longer distances to be with their families. When there is an increase in traffic, there is an increase in DUI incidents.
- Food and alcohol – When people are eating while they are drinking alcohol, they tend to drink more than they would without food. When a person has spent a day at a relative’s house eating Thanksgiving dinner and drinking alcohol, they may not even realize how inebriated they are as they begin the drive home.
- Long weekend – Many people have time off of work for Thanksgiving, including the day after. A day off of work may include alcohol, which can lead to DUI incidents.
- Shopping – Because of the many holiday deals and specials that come out at Thanksgiving time, there is an increase of shoppers out on the road. Again, when there is an increase in traffic, it can lead to more DUI related accidents.
We don’t often think about all of these contributing factors when it comes to DUI’s and Thanksgiving. But some reports show that Thanksgiving can be one of the worst holiday weekends for DUI’s.
Then it’s on to Christmas and New Year’s, which present their own challenges when it comes to DUI arrests and accidents. As long as alcohol and travelling are involved even in the slightest at this holiday time of the year, you can bet there will be plenty of DUI related issues.
Our advice: Don’t drink and drive! But should you find yourself in a situation where you’re facing DUI charges, give the Naegle Law Firm a call for a free consultation. Charlie Naegle will work quickly to help you resolve your situation and get you back on track. Don’t let a DUI charge spoil your holidays!