It may not seem immediately clear, but yes, drunken driving incidents do increase over the winter holidays. In some places, they increase by impressive margins over regular drinking rates. Data collected by Scram Systems found troubling increases in drinking from November to December. This post will go over the data and what it may mean for you.
The data revealed that Thanksgiving is the kick-off to the drunken holiday season. The researchers noted a 35 percent increase in alcohol consumption over Thanksgiving and those rates never drop during the holidays. In fact, the steady consumption rate over the holidays is about 40 percent above normal. The study also found a 41 percent jump on Christmas and a 58 percent jump over New Years.
Moreover, Americans aren’t drinking and staying home. Over Thanksgiving, 41 million Americans hit the road for the holidays. Additionally, 91 million will travel between December 23 and January 2 for Christmas and New Years. Sadly, one in eight of those drivers admits to driving after consuming too much alcohol, specifically, consuming sufficient alcohol to fail the 0.08 BAC or to come very close to the limit.
These two trends, drinking and increased driving, lead to a jump in DUI offenses. The researchers found that DUI offenses jump by 31 percent over Thanksgiving, 48 percent over Christmas and an impressive 106 percent for New Years.
Were you charged a felony drunk driving? If yes, you should speak to a defense attorney right away. As this data illustrates, the police may not take kindly to people charged with DUIs over the holidays. This information shows that the dangers increase significantly for everyone because of the increase in drunk driving. The courts and police may try to make an example out of you by treating you harshly. A defense attorney can protect you and ensure that you receive fair treatment by the courts and police.