New Mexico drivers looking for cold, hard statistics to use while convincing their friends not to drink this New Year’s Eve can find them in a recent report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA has compiled data, which proves holiday drinking costs lives. Indeed, more New Mexico drivers die from car accidents that involve alcohol during the holidays than at any other time of the year.
Statistics indicate that 37 percent of fatal accidents that occur near Christmas day are caused by alcohol. As for New Year’s Eve, the percentage is even higher — coming in at 41 percent. These percentages represent a substantial increase when comparing them to yearlong averages, which show that only 31 percent of fatalities are caused by drunk drivers during other parts of the year.
Last year, in 2012, 830 people were killed in holiday drunk-driving car accidents. For this reason, advocates of safer roads are asking that drivers act responsibly this holiday season to lower the number of fatalities in 2013. Many solutions are available, including the classic one of designating a sober driver to give everyone a ride home.
Another option for solo drivers may include a personal Breathalyzer test. Numerous models are currently available, and some of them are very affordable. There is even a portable Breathalyzer test that will plug into an iPhone.
With so many options available, and so many benefits to abstaining from drinking alcohol altogether, drivers in New Mexico do not have any excuses to drink and drive. Potential drunk drivers should also remember that those they injure have the power to prosecute to the full extent of the law. People who cause drunk driving car accidents could be on the hook for paying out millions of dollars for the damages and personal injury they cause. They may also be forced to serve a lengthy jail sentence. Unfortunately, these consequences are not sufficient to prevent everyone from drunk driving in New Mexico; therefore, sober drivers must be extremely careful and drive defensively to avoid accidents on New Year’s Eve.
Source: detroitnews.com, Taking a breath may spare a DUI, Melissa Preddy, Dec. 26, 2013
