
There was some good news and some bad news from last weekend’s Thanksgiving holiday. The good news is that car accident fatalities were down from last year. The bad news is that there were any at all.
State police said that there were 10 recorded traffic deaths on state-patrolled roads over the five-day holiday weekend, which is seven less than last year. There were more than 1,000 car accidents across the state and 326 injuries. About 10% were alcohol-related, and 484 people were arrested for driving under the influence.
If almost 500 people were arrested for drunk driving, you can only imagine how many committed the offense but got away with it. That’s a lot of impaired drivers on the road putting their lives and the lives of other motorists at risk.
I hope that as we head into another holiday season that involves lots of celebrations, everyone makes the decision to not drink and drive. As a first step, sign my firm’s Safe & Sober Pledge (everyone who signs will be entered for a chance to win a video camera). Then, come up with a plan now for how you’ll avoid drunk driving over the holidays and all year long. It will only take a few minutes, and those few minutes could save a life.