St. Patrick’s Day Car Accidents

On March 17, around half of all Americans will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Originally a tribute to the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is now the fourth most popular drinking holiday after New Year’s, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. Besides the obvious health dangers of binge drinking, St. Patrick’s Day also creates a dangerous situation on Ohio’s roadways.

If you or a loved one is involved in a collision on St. Patrick’s Day, contact the Ohio car accident lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW. We will handle the legal aspects of your situation while you focus on recovery.

How Dangerous Are Roads on St. Patrick’s Day?

On St. Patrick’s Day in 2015, one life was lost to drunk driving about every 46 minutes in Ohio. Approximately 30 people tragically lost their lives on that day, and many more got injured or had their cars damaged because of drunk drivers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that anywhere between 25 to 40 percent of crash fatalities on St. Patrick’s Day are caused by drunk driving. Many of these St. Patrick’s Day car accidents occur because of binge drinking. Around three-quarters of drivers involved in drunk driving crashes had a blood alcohol content (BAC) over .16, which is twice the legal limit.

When compared with yearly averages, however, St. Patrick’s Day does not stand out as a dangerous day to drive. For example, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for around one-third of fatal traffic accidents over all of 2015. And the NTHSA reports that on average around 28 people die each day in car crashes caused by drunk driving.

Statistics Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Looking closer at the NHTSA data, we see that the most drunk driving fatalities happen when there are the most people on the roads. That’s why Thanksgiving – the holiday where Americans drive the most – has one of the highest rates of drunk driving deaths, even though it’s not the holiday during which Americans drink the most.

The number of St. Patrick’s Day drunk driving fatalities may be lower than expected because there are fewer drivers on the road. But out of that smaller pool of drivers, more people are drunk, and more people are getting into accidents. So even though St. Patrick’s Day might not be a particularly deadly day on Ohio’s roads, those who do choose to drive will face a heightened risk of encountering drunk drivers.

Avoid St. Patrick’s Day Car Accidents

Whether you plan to drink or not, you should stay off the roads. There is a higher number of inebriated people behind the wheel on St. Patrick’s Day. If you are planning to drink, keep the following in mind:

• Don’t drink more than you can handle. You should know your limits before you go out. If you don’t know your limit, it’s generally not advisable for a woman to drink more than three alcoholic beverages in succession. For males, the number is five. These are just averages, so the point at which you start making bad decisions could occur even earlier. It’s also advisable to drink water throughout the night.
• Use a designated driver. Once you and your friends are drunk, you no longer have the judgment necessary to figure out how to get everyone home safe. For this reason, you should plan ahead and designate one or several people to remain sober and to drive you all home safely at the end of the night. If you find yourself alone during the night, you can use the NTHSA’s SafeRide app to get a taxi or find a friend to get you home. Uber, Lyft, and public transportation are also options.
• Watch your friends. Alcohol has the tendency to reduce your faculties while making you more confident. Buzzed people almost always think they can drive. Keep track of how much alcohol your friends are drinking and don’t let anyone who might be drunk or tipsy to get behind the wheel – even if they say they are fine.

Despite all precautions, accidents still happen. If you or a loved one gets injured in a car crash, an Ohio car accident attorney can help you obtain compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, and car damages. At Kisling, Nestico & Redick we have a proven track record of getting our clients the compensation they deserve after traffic accidents.

Call us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW or use our contact form to schedule your free consultation.