The 4th of July is almost here, a date important to Americans as it is the day our country gained its independence. Today, we still celebrate, but now with alcoholic drinks, barbecues, fireworks, and more! But with any holiday surrounding big parties and celebrations with friends comes the rise of personal injuries, drunk driving, and accidental deaths.
Drunk driving led to over 1,460 deaths in car accidents over the Fourth of July period between
2017 and 2021. Among them, 38% (552) of them were drivers, which means that even if you are sober while driving, that doesn’t mean someone else can’t hit you.
With drunk driving being so serious, you must have an attorney to defend you. Whether you’re trying to avoid criminal charges as a drunk driver or you’re a victim of drunk driving with medical bills that need to be paid, you can trust the attorneys at Lermitte & Lubin, LLC. We have both
criminal defense attorneys and
personal injury attorneys that can help you if something happens over this holiday weekend.
Don’t Be a Drunk Driver on the 4th of July
Driving drunk is not only a major risk on the 4th of July but puts everyone else on the road at risk with you. To protect yourself and others, here are some tips for how you can get home without drunk driving or being in the car of a drunk driver:
#1. Plan Ahead
Before you make any plans to celebrate a holiday, plan how you'll get home safely. Designate a sober person or driver who can make sure everyone gets home. Having your route planned out in advance will also help ensure that you don't end up getting behind the wheel drunk or stuck stranded anywhere.
#2. Watch What You Drink
If you do decide to drink alcohol on the holiday, be sure to drink responsibly and watch your consumption levels throughout the night. While you can make plans to not drive or get in the car with a drunk driver, your ability to make sound choices is drastically reduced when you drink.
To avoid this, keep track of how many drinks you have and avoid overindulging. You can do this by taking breaks between drinks or alternating with non-alcoholic beverages like water or soda.
#3. Arrange an Uber/Lyft Ride Home
Consider using a ride-sharing app such as Uber or Lyft to get yourself home safely. Drive-sharing services will fire most drivers who are convicted of DUIs, so it’s in their best interests to not drive drunk.
#4. Stay the Night
If you’re drinking at a friend or family member’s house, it’s probably the best idea to spend the night than there than to risk driving or finding a way to get home. If they allow you to, you can drive home in the morning when the amount of drunk drivers has drastically decreased.
Avoid Drunk Drivers on the 4th of July
As we said earlier, sober drivers can still be the victims of drunk drivers, but there are things you can do to avoid them. To ensure safe travels and a memorable holiday, here are some tips on avoiding drunk drivers on the road:
#1. Avoid High-Traffic Areas
Reduce your risk of encountering a drunk driver by steering clear of popular areas with high concentrations of people during the Fourth of July celebrations. Places like this include cities and highly populated towns. Anywhere within a couple of blocks of a bar if you can help it.
These areas often contain more intoxicated individuals who may be looking to drive home after consuming too much alcohol throughout the night. Highways may seem like high-traffic areas, but when traffic is at high speeds, it’s usually empty, and drunk drivers can be spotted even from far away.
If you drive through back roads, especially at night, you’re left at a disadvantage and may be unable to see a drunk driver coming.
#2. Utilize Public Transportation
Public transportation is an excellent way to get around safely while avoiding potential drunk drivers on the roads. If available in your area, opt for buses or trains. They are usually safer than getting in cars with potentially impaired drivers on the road.
#3. Stay the Night
One of the best ways to avoid driving drunk is also one of the best ways to avoid drunk drivers. Even if you’re sober, it’s far safer to spend the night at a friend's and drive home in the morning when there are significantly fewer drunk drivers out.
Contact the Attorneys at Lermitte & Lubin, LLC Today
One of the benefits of being a law firm with multiple attorneys is that we can offer differing services. Our criminal defense attorneys have experience defending clients from DUI charges, while our personal injury attorneys have experience getting victims the compensation they deserve after an accident.
Whether you were the drunk driver or one of their victims, you can count on the attorneys this holiday weekend to help. Contact us as soon as possible.
