This weekend, many people in NEPA will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with festivities. As such, many of those celebrating will also be drinking in excess–in fact, it is estimated that throughout the holiday, 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed. With that much drinking, it should be no surprise there will be an increase in drunk driving incidents across the nation.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period. In 2018, 73 people were killed over the course of the holiday. Knowing that drunk driving fatalities and incidents are on the rise across the country, how can you celebrate safely?
ST. PATRICK’S DAY SAFETY GUIDE
- Find a ride. If you are celebrating in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton or Philadelphia, there are numerous programs in place so you shouldn’t feel the need to drive home after a day of celebrations. Check out RideGuru, to see which companies you can get a ride from. Also, check out your local busing transportation options.
- Assign a designated driver. If you would rather not share a ride, have a designated driver for your group.
- Plan ahead. Everyone wants to have a good time, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unsafe. If someone lives close to the action, plan to stay the night, and leave your car keys behind to avoid the temptation to drive home. If not, book a room before you arrive. DiscoverNEPA has a list of places to stay across the area.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach. When you have a full day of fun planned, be sure to eat in advance. Drinking on an empty stomach can put a halt to your day and make excessive drinking incredibly dangerous. Your organs and bloodstream absorb alcohol differently when you haven’t eaten enough. And nothing says unlucky like alcohol poisoning.
- Wait it out. Though you may want to go home and sleep off your day, hopping into your vehicle right away is not the way to do it. Stop drinking at least 90 minutes before you plan to leave and wait it out. If you know you need to leave at a certain time, calculate when you need to stop drinking and give yourself enough time for your blood alcohol level to go down. If you are unable to drive, don’t get behind the wheel.
Whether you plan to attend festivities in Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia or Scranton, if you decide to drink and drive this St. Patrick’s Day, the luck of the Irish will not be enough to get you out of legal trouble.
HOW OUR SCRANTON DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT LAWYERS CAN HELP
The Pennsylvania drunk driving accident lawyers at Fellerman & Ciarimboli have spent their careers fighting for those injured in a car accident with a drunk driver. Not only do we have the experience, but we have the track record. Whether you are accused of drunk driving or are a victim of a drunk driving accident, we are here to provide you a voice.
Do not wait much longer. If you have injuries following a drunk driving accident, remember to choose the law firm where results matter. Contact the Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton drunk driving accident lawyers at Fellerman & Ciarimboli today for a free consultation.
