National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Warns of Drunk Driving Increases Over the 4th of July Weekend

At Dewey, Ramsay, & Hunt, P.A., our Charlotte personal injury lawyers know that long weekends allow friends and relatives to celebrate together by camping, boating, and traveling in groups while taking advantage of an extra day or two away from work.

Unfortunately, Independence Day weekend often accounts for the highest number of drunk driving accidents here and throughout the country.

In North Carolina and across the U.S., it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over .08.

Despite the laws that are in place to keep us safe, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that one person was killed every 45 minutes in a drunk driving crash on our nation’s roads last year.

That is a total of 11,654 people who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes over a single year.

Your life and the lives of others on the road are at risk every time a driver gets behind the wheel after drinking. That risk increases over the holidays; specifically, the 4^th of July weekends.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Warns of Increased Drunk Driving Over the 4th of July Weekend

The NTHSA reports that over the July 4^th weekend, while America celebrates the birth of our nation, there is an increase in impaired driving crashes.

Over five years of 4th of July holiday periods, approximately 38% of the drivers killed in traffic collisions were drunk.

Here are a few tips to stay safe during one of the busiest drunk driving weekends throughout the U.S.

Tips to Celebrate Safely This 4th of July

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) urges everyone to celebrate safely by planning and designating a non-drinking, unimpaired driver during the long 4^th of July holiday weekend.

• Drivers who cannot plan for a designated driver should seek rides from public transportation, taxis, or rideshare companies to ensure they are getting home safely.
• If you are hosting a 4^thof July gathering, help designated drivers stay that way by providing non-alcoholic beverages for consumption.
• If you have a friend who is impaired, and planning to drive, call a cab or offer a place to stay until he or she sobers up.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, safely pull over, and call 911.

Impaired drivers affect everyone on our roads and waterways, and can lead to catastrophic car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, and boat accidents that change lives.

If you have been injured in a vehicle or vessel collision or lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident of any kind, contact our skilled personal injury lawyers in Charlotte today for help.

Contact Our Accomplished Drunk Driving Accidents Attorneys in North Carolina Today

At Dewey, Ramsay & Hunt, our leading fatality, injury and drunk driving collision lawyers in Charlotte provide free consultations by calling 704-377-3737 or contacting us online.

We provide unique legal services tailored to fit each client’s needs and do not get paid unless you do.

Because every case is different, the description of awards and cases previously handled by our law firm does not guarantee a similar outcome in current or future cases.