1. Stay home! New Year’s Eve is just an excuse for the overconsumption of alcoholic beverages. And with 2020 being such a terrible year, this might make even more people go out and drink even more tonight. They will be celebrating at nightclubs, bars, and restaurants, then drive home and cause a possible fatal DWI accident in Fort Worth.
Not to be a party-pooper, but please stay home tonight due to Covid-19 precautions, bad weather, and just plain common sense.
Our main goal at Berenson Injury Law is to use the civil justice system to get our clients the best possible compensation for their damages. We also try to change the behavior of negligent drivers so that our highways will be less dangerous.
We just filed a lawsuit against a man whose blood alcohol content was an unbelievable 3.5 times the legal limit — at only about 7:00 p.m.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote an excellent article about this tragic case that claimed the life of a man. Publicizing the inevitability of severe criminal punishments and substantial civil judgments can warn others and hold down the chance of another Fort Worth DWI accident like this one.
We often write about what people should do after they are involved in a driving while intoxicated collision since they are so common and hurt so many people.
Shockingly, 30 Americans lose their lives each day, in a DWI crash. That is one every 50 minutes, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
We must stop the madness. Every driving while intoxicated collision is preventable. Tonight is the perfect time to start.
The heavier drinking holiday period starts every year during the Thanksgiving weekend. The increased focus on getting drunk coupled with the stress of the holidays are factors in the sharp increase in the number of Fort Worth car accidents during this five week period every year.
North Texas DWI crashes could be curtailed if our government officials, courts, and the public took more action.
Now that every weekend is a “no refusal” one in Tarrant County, we hope that our local police departments will further crack down on drunk drivers.
Do you think there is any irony in the back of this tractor-trailer that one of our employees spotted near our offices yesterday?
2. Use ride share or a designated driver
If you feel like you must go out, use Uber, Lyft, or another designated driver. Reserve a ride in advance and have a back-up plan in case the first option does not work out. Make sure that you are home before 10:00 p.m. and preferably sooner.
If you are thinking that you can’t afford to do this, while the average Uber ride may cost about $15.00, that is extremely cheap compared to the attorney’s fees and expenses for a DWI that can cost up to $5,000.00.
This does not include your medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repairs, insurance company doubling your rates or cancelling your policy (and forcing you into the super expensive high risk pool), and other serious damages you will incur.
3. Know how much alcohol you can legally consume
Texas law holds that having .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood is a crime. If your blood alcohol content (BAC) is that number or above, you can be be arrested and convicted of a felony. That .08 level is the same in all 50 states. And in many countries around the world, driving with a BAC level over 0.0 is a crime. Not even one drop is allowed.
And note that the blood alcohol level is .0% for someone who is less than 21 years old.
While you are out having a good time, you will not know what your BAC level is, and the more you drink, the less you will care. So you should download an app so you will know just how soused you are.
Here’s an estimate from one app that shows that a man who weighs 180 pounds and has had four beers over a two hour period is almost legally intoxicated and should not be driving.
And if he has one more beer, his BAC will be over the limit.
You should know what symptoms you will feel at different BAC levels so you will know when it’s time to call it a night.
If your BAC level is between .07 and .09, your vision, balance speech, and judgment will be impaired. Feelings of euphoria and boisterous conduct will be typical.
At .10 to .12 BAC, you will be unable to make sound decisions. Your vision, distance perception, reaction time, concentration, and ability to maneuver the vehicle will be dangerous to you, your passengers, and other drivers.
And don’t forget that you can cause a crash if you are just a little intoxicated.
4. Monitor your guests if you are in your home
Again, this is not the night to be at a party, especially with the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Consider a virtual one instead.
If you have a gathering, keep an eye on the consumption of alcohol. Have food and nonalcoholic beverages ready. Arrange an Uber ride home for your tipsy guests so they don’t cause a DWI accident in Fort Worth.
Here’s hoping for a happy new year
Let’s hope that 2021 is a better, safer and healthier year!
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