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“We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. wish everyone a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday and want to take this time to remind everyone of the dangers of drinking and driving,” said Florida Hurt By Drunk Driver Attorney, Randall Spivey. 

Thanksgiving is known as being a time for baking, turkey preparation and reuniting with family and friends. College students, home from the rigors of academia, see this time as a time to catch up with old friends and party. In the workplace, co-workers see Thanksgiving as a time to ring in the holiday season. All of these events have earned the Wednesday before Thanksgiving the nickname of “Blackout Wednesday” at many bars and restaurants. Blackout Wednesday has become one of the biggest party nights of the year. 

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving night revelers have contributed to making the Thanksgiving weekend one of the most dangerous holiday periods for driving on U.S. roads. According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) in four of the past five years for which data is available, Thanksgiving weekend has surpassed even New Year’s in terms of alcohol-related driving fatalities. 

Guardian Interlock, a manufacturer of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices, agrees that of all the holidays, Thanksgiving weekend, Wednesday through Sunday, is at the top as far as drunk-driver crashes with Wednesday night tending to have more drunk drivers on the roads than any other time. Traffic deaths around Thanksgiving weekend, including Blackout Wednesday and Black Friday, account for more than 400 traffic deaths each year. 

Here are the sobering statistics from SCRAM Systems, an alcohol monitoring system: 

• 40 percent of highway deaths during Thanksgiving weekend are related to alcohol.
• 2 to 3 times more people die in alcohol-related crashes in the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
• 38 million people travel by car during the Thanksgiving weekend holiday.
• Violations for DUI offenders increase 30 percent over the Thanksgiving weekend.
• It is estimated that some 1,200 people will die and another 25,000 people will be injured this holiday season in DUI-related accidents. 

Take Steps to Celebrate Safely 

PRNewsWire reports that anytime people consume alcohol and drive, they increase their risk of being in an accident. Law enforcement agencies throughout the country will be running roadside sobriety checkpoints, including the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign organized by NHTSA. In addition, AMS (Alcohol Monitoring Systems) encourages everyone to take some simple steps to celebrate safely: 

• Plan ahead. Do not wait until you start drinking to figure out how you are getting home.
• Add contact information for local cab companies or car services into your phone or keep it handy. Many companies even offer special fares during some holidays, so check ahead.
• Download and pre-populate your information for ride-sharing apps to make it easy to hail a ride at the end of the evening.
• Identify a designated driver for the evening and STICK WITH IT. If plans change, have a back-up plan, such as one of the options above. 

“If you or a loved one is injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, contact the experienced attorneys at Spivey Law Firm to determine your rights,” said Attorney Randall Spivey.

Hurt By Drunk Driver Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.