Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals that the worst U.S. holiday for drunk driving fatalities is Independence Day. This is followed by Memorial Day, Labor Day, New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas, respectively. The Fourth of July saw 1,192 DUI fatalities between 2010 and 2017, followed by Memorial Day with 1,105. California residents should know that certain factors make Independence Day especially deadly.
For starters, the Fourth of July sees more DUI fatalities when it falls on a weekday, with the average fatality rate coming to 43.4 per day between 2012 and 2017. By contrast, the rate was 36.3 when the Fourth of July occurred on the weekend. The rate reaches its peak when the holiday falls on a Wednesday, with 52 dying on average. This is 43% higher than the rate on Saturdays.
The chances of dying in a DUI-related crash rise 57% on Independence Day when contrasted with any comparable summer day. NHTSA reports 184 DUI fatalities on the Fourth of July weekend for 2017, but an equivalent span of four or five summer days resulted in an average of 117 deaths.
Driving under the influence of alcohol can result in fines, a license suspension and up to one year in jail for first-time offenders. Auto insurance rates also tend to increase.
Costa Mesa auto accident injury lawyers can usually handle cases involving a drunk driver since DUI is considered a form of negligence. A victim of negligence can file their claim and recover damages as long as their degree of fault is less than that of the defendant. To ensure the maximum settlement possible, it’s often wise to obtain legal representation. If a settlement isn’t possible, the lawyer may take their case to court. In the end, the plaintiff could be reimbursed for medical bills, lost wages and more.
