Posted by duijim in on November 20, 2023
Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday observed annually on the fourth Thursday in November and marked by turkey dinners, American football games, parades and volunteering efforts.
Thanksgiving weekend traffic volumes make this period one of the deadliest times on American roads due to low seat belt use rates; that’s why Operation Click It or Ticket continues throughout this holiday weekend.
1. Alcohol Consumption
Thanksgiving is an enjoyable occasion that brings families together over delicious food and drinks, but it is vitally important that everyone be wary of the dangers associated with alcohol consumption and driving during this festive holiday season. Drunk driving accidents are preventable but can result in serious injuries and deaths for all involved.
Alcohol consumption tends to spike around the holidays due to celebrations and social events that take place, along with access to eggnog, spiked punch and other alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, many are off work during this period and thus more apt to indulge in drinking due to having extra free time during this period.
Research has demonstrated a sharp spike in drunk driving deaths between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, when on average 36 people per day die due to alcohol-related crashes – more than any other weekday during this period of the year.
Drunk driving crashes have an enormously detrimental impact on our economy, costing billions every year in healthcare expenses and economic losses; moreover, they often result in long-term disability for victims as well as emotional pain for them and their loved ones.
If you plan on drinking during the holidays, it’s important to have a plan for how you will get home safely. This may involve designating a sober driver or ridesharing services as options. In addition, it would be a good idea to bring along someone sober to social gatherings to avoid temptation and provide support should any need arise.
When encountering drivers who appear to be impaired while on the road, it is vitally important to immediately report them. You have two options for doing this – calling 911 or using Star GSP (which corresponds with *477 on most phones) which provides free service directly connecting with Georgia State Patrol allowing you to bypass its call centers and alert authorities of potential DUI violators immediately.
2. Drinking and Driving
Thanksgiving weekend is an annual tradition, filled with family, food and football. Unfortunately, however, it also marks one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year and poses a high risk of drunk driving car accidents – with hundreds having died due to drunk driving accidents during this period over five years alone. Thanksgiving Eve alone can see drunk driving rates skyrocket; people gather together before gathering together for their big meal and having some drinks together before relaxing their inhibitions at dinner time.
Alcohol consumption and impaired driving have a direct relationship to auto accidents. Therefore, it is vitally important never to combine drinking with driving – even small amounts can impair judgment and reaction times, increasing your likelihood of collision. Thanksgiving presents particularly high risks due to so many people traveling for family visits across highways and streets that become congested.
Even with increased risks associated with alcohol consumption, many still choose to party and indulge. To mitigate this risk, always plan for how you will return home; make sure your designated driver is sober and ready when required or hire an Uber or Lyft ride-sharing service provider to get home safely.
Watch out for other drivers acting erratically on the road, particularly drunk or impaired drivers who may weave between lanes without signaling, drive well below or above speed limits and show other telltale signs they are under the influence. If possible, capture their license plate number so you can report them if they endanger other road users.
Being pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving can be an extremely distressing experience for anyone, yet if this should ever occur and there is no clear evidence of impairment, Georgia law provides you with the right to request an independent chemical test – as explained herein.
3. Driving While Intoxicated
Thanksgiving holiday weekends are notoriously hazardous times of year for drunk driving-related accidents, with an increase in fatal DUI crashes per hour that often exceeds eighteen. Due to this surge, more patrols and police efforts are put forth to identify drivers suspected of operating their vehicles while under the influence.
No one should underestimate the risks posed by alcohol and drugs on driving ability; even one drink can alter judgement considerably, so if you plan on consuming any alcoholic beverages this Thanksgiving it is vitally important that if you intend on imbibing, either arrange to have someone drive for you home safely via taxi, Uber, Lyft or any other mode of transport; fatigue also has an impactful drowsy result in driving safely; studies have demonstrated how lack of sleep has the same effects as legally intoxication!
At Thanksgiving holiday travel periods, every available Georgia State Trooper and Motor Carrier Compliance Division officer (MCCD officer) will take part in Operation C.A.R.E, short for “Combined Accident Reduction Effort.” This high visibility effort aims to reduce traffic deaths during this holiday period.
An arrest for DUI can have lasting repercussions for both you and your family, including jail time, fines, community service requirements, clinical evaluation and substance abuse treatment, attendance at DUI school or installation of an ignition interlock device as well as having your license suspended.
If you have been arrested for DUI this Thanksgiving in Atlanta, it is critical that you retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible to protect both your rights and freedom. A knowledgeable DUI lawyer can protect your constitutional rights during a traffic stop as well as ensure accurate field sobriety test results.
An experienced Atlanta DUI lawyer can also help protect your license by filing for an ALS hearing within 30 days of an arrest for DUI and requesting an independent chemical test – as mandated by Georgia law. Reach out now for a complimentary consultation with an Atlanta DUI lawyer!
4. Driving Under the Influence
Thanksgiving holiday travel periods are one of the busiest travel periods of the year and drunk drivers are at their most likely on the roads during this period, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. According to this source, alcohol-related fatal crashes increase significantly around the holidays – in Georgia alone there were 12 fatal traffic accidents over this 102 hour holiday weekend with 299 arrests for DUI by GSP officers alone!
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that drinking and driving can have serious, life-threatening repercussions, including serious injury or even death. When someone consumes alcohol before driving, their reaction times become slower while their judgment becomes impaired – even small amounts can have such an effect. As such, it is vitally important that we all refrain from this behavior altogether.
Many people plan festive celebrations during Thanksgiving holiday that often include drinking alcohol. It is essential that all parties aware of their risks and make wise decisions, to reduce risk. One way to reduce Thanksgiving DUI accidents is designating a sober driver or using rideshare services/taxis before beginning celebrations or programming the numbers of taxi companies into your phone prior to partying.
Another alarming statistic – over half of all traffic crash victims killed during last Thanksgiving’s travel period weren’t wearing safety belts – is why sheriff’s deputies and state troopers across Georgia as part of Operation Click It or Ticket will crackdown on unbuckled drivers during this year’s Thanksgiving travel period.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. If you or someone in your family needs assistance from experienced DUI lawyers, contact us immediately! Our team is standing by to protect the rights of our clients while aggressively fighting in court for them – we specialize in DUI law throughout Georgia while representing victims injured by other forms of motor vehicle crashes.