Enjoy Family Dinners and Football Games … and Try to Stay Clear of Drunk Drivers
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I thoroughly enjoy sharing a meal with my family and enjoying my blessings. I’m looking forward to seeing my Texas Longhorns win and there are a lot of other great games on this weekend.
I will also be very careful about when I drive this weekend.
I have been a personal injury lawyer for 38 years and I know all too well the statistics and the trends in drinking and driving. I also have heard the stories from my clients about a once-special holiday forever tarnished with the memory of a Thanksgiving weekend DWI accident.
Thanksgiving is the deadliest holiday on our nation’s roadways. During the 2012 Thanksgiving weekend, 764 families heard the news that their loved ones had been killed in a car wreck. Almost 50,000 more people suffered injuries in auto accidents that same weekend.
I would be thrilled if we set a new record this weekend. Instead of the deadliest time on the road, let’s strive for the safest weekend.
Here are some ways to make that wish a reality:
- If you are hosting a dinner, monitor the alcoholic beverages you serve. A guest can easily reach the legal limit of .08 percent BAC after just a few glasses of wine during the course of a leisurely meal.
- If throwing a game-day party, have the numbers of Uber or a taxi service available.
- If attending a holiday event, agree who will be the designated driver or arrange for a ride ahead of time.
- If possible, stay off the roads during peak drunk driving hours — from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
I am closing the office at noon to give my staff time to drive to their out of town families or enjoy being with their families here in Fort Worth.