The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is gearing up for the holiday season with a variety of roadway safety campaigns specifically geared to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving holiday weekend has become synonymous with a spike in injuries and fatal crashes.

First and foremost, officials with the NHTSA are reminding motorists to buckle up, whether they’re heading across town or across the country. Additionally, they’re running simultaneous anti-drunk driving campaigns and anti-drugged driving campaigns.

Thanksgiving Holiday Roadway Statistics

  • During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2017, there were 365 people killed in crashes in the U.S.
  • During that weekend, 57 percent of the people killed in crashes at night were unbuckled when compared with 40 percent during the day.
  • From 2013 to 2017, more than 800 people died in drunk-driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
  • In 2017, more than one out of every three traffic crash fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday period involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

Make a Plan Before You Celebrate

Whether you plan to bar crawl on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or partake in alcoholic beverages later in the weekend, make a plan to get home safely before you start drinking. Don’t wait until the end of the night to try to figure out a safe ride home. Designate a driver before you start drinking.

If you can’t arrange for a designated driver, make sure to download a ridesharing app or pre-program a cab company’s number into your phone. Whatever you do, at the end of the night, don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking or taking drugs. It’s not worth risking your life or the lives of others.

Drunk Driving Accidents in Asheville

After any kind of car accident involving a drunk or drugged driver, it’s a good idea to speak with a Personal Injury lawyer about your case. You may be entitled to compensation to cover medical bills and other costs associated with your injuries.

The team at Davis Law Group, P.A. wishes everybody a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday, and if you have been injured in a crash involving an impaired or negligent driver in Asheville or in any of the surrounding Western North Carolina communities, contact our office at 828-303-2842 for a free case consultation.