Summer is DUI season, and July sees more DUI fatalities than any other month. But what is it about this time of year that makes people more willing to drink and drive? There are two main reasons.
The 4th of July
While all holiday weekends tend to see a sharp increase in DUI arrests, Independence Day weekend stands out. Each 4th of July, about 200 Americans lose their lives in drunk driving crashes. Put another way, Independence Day weekend makes up about 2% of the entire country’s drunk driving fatalities.
In those crashes, even more people are seriously or catastrophically injured. Remember that all these crashes are preventable. If you sense someone is unsafe to drive for any reason, encourage them to stay and sober up or offer to drive them home.
Summer Vacation
Teens on summer break are another reason for increased DUIs in July. The annual spikes in DUI crashes correlate to the months of summer vacation, rising in mid-May and dropping again in August.
Teen car crash fatalities increase by 25% during the summer months, and a large number of teen crashes are caused by underage drinking. When teen drinking is combined with the #1 DUI weekend of the year, it’s not surprising that July sees more DUIs and DUI fatalities than any other month.
Preventing these incidents starts at home. By helping teens understand the dangers of alcohol and underage drinking and offering them a ride if they’re ever in trouble, parents can do their part to get their teens home safe and make summer driving safer for everyone.
If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries at the hands of a drunk driver, our Rochester car accident attorneys are here to help. If you’d like to schedule a free case consultation with an experienced attorney from Faraci Lange, LLP, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or call (888) 997-4110. We’re here to help.