PinThe odds of being involved in a driving accident are higher during periods when more cars are on the road, such as rush hour and holidays. When the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the road increases, however, then the odds of vehicular accidents skyrocket.

With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas quickly approaching, the risk of getting arrested for a DWI also rises. Thanksgiving Eve, is unofficially known to be the busiest night of the year for bars – which means that it is one of the biggest nights of the year in terms of drunk driving arrests. As the most traveled holiday period of the year and roughly 90 percent of travelers doing so by car, the chances of injuries and fatalities are very high. Thanksgiving is also a time of the year where social binge drinking is extremely common.

Holidays mean more travel and parties since many love to celebrate the season with their loved ones. The 35-day period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is the busiest time of the year for long distance traveling, with numerous drivers traveling 50 miles or even more away from their hometowns. In fact, this period is also referred to by many as “DWI Season”, as this is often the time when the number of DUIs is at its highest.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD state that around the number of deaths caused by drunk driving incidents spike around the holidays, with alcohol being responsible for roughly 52 percent of all fatal collisions during Christmas and about 57 percent on New Year’s. This is compared to a rate of about 41 percent for the remainder of the year.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that apart from the roughly 1,200 alcohol-related fatalities occurring on the road during the holiday season, another 25,000 injuries will also be sustained.

Federal traffic safety data reveals the death toll per day due to drunk driving is significantly higher during the holiday seasons compared to the rest of the year.  According to a report by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 40 percent of traffic-related fatalities during Christmas and New Year’s are linked to drunk driving. This is a whopping 12 percent higher than the rest of the month of December.

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration reports that in December 2010, a total of 2,597 individuals lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents. An average of 36 fatalities occurred daily in the United States between 2001 and 2005 due to incidents of impaired driving. During the Christmas period, the numbers increased to 45 fatalities per day, and rose to 54 fatalities per day during the New Year.

Between 1998 and 2008, roughly 572 fatalities per year occurred on the country’s highways throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, with approximately 36 percent of these fatalities being alcohol-related – making the four-day holiday period the most deadly for U.S. roads.

It is therefore important to be increasingly aware of the risks brought about by the holiday season and to prepare for them accordingly. Take the necessary steps to protect both yourself and your loved ones, such as refraining from drinking and driving, and avoiding getting behind the wheel when you know there will be numerous drunk drivers on the road. If you are attending holiday festivities, always make a plan first.

If you are arrested for drinking and driving, seek professional help from a good DWI lawyer.

Source: The Most Dangerous Times on the Road, published on http://www.bactrack.com/pages/the-most-dangerous-times-on-the-road.