New Year’s Eve is a great time to celebrate the end of a significant time period and welcome the start of a year in your life. With these celebrations, though, people often forget some of the most important things: Drinking and driving is NEVER okay.
It doesn’t matter if you are “only buzzed” or “just tipsy” because driving while feeling either of those things is still drunk driving. When driving while intoxicated, you are not only putting yourself and the people in your car in danger, but you are also putting others at risk.
This New Year’s, if you see anyone who should not be driving with the keys, try to intervene. You may be saving many lives. There are countless statistics about drunk driving on New Year’s that should convince you not to make this possibly fatal mistake.
Here are 10 times it is okay to drive drunk on New Year’s (and every other day):
1. Never.
On New Year’s Day, at least 50% of fatal car crashes involve a driver with a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.08.
2. Never.
From 2008-2012, January 1st is the day of the year with the highest percentage of deaths related to alcohol.
3. Never.
The average number of fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver rose 34% during the Christmas and New Year period.
4. Never.
Over the New Year's holiday, the average number of fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver occurred each day rose from 45 to 54 per day.
5. Never.
On New Year’s Day in 2013 alone, 140 individuals were killed in crashes that were alcohol-related, where on most days, only 28 people in America die after being in a drunk driving crash.
6. Never.
Compared to an average night on the weekend, there are 71% more crashes with drugs or alcohol as a contributing factor between December 31st at 6 P.M. and January 1st at 6 A.M.
7. Never.
New Year’s Day is the second most deadly day for drivers with an average of 140 deaths (based on statistics from 2002 to 2008).
8. Never.
DUI arrests are at their highest between Thanksgiving and the end of New Year’s weekend.
9. Never.
Those still suffering from hangovers may get behind the wheel of a car not thinking that they may still be considered intoxicated if pulled over.
10. Never.
January 1st is “the most hazardous day for pedestrians" with the average number of deaths being 22 each year.
