New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are among the deadliest on the roadways.
After a tumultuous 2012, it’s probably safe to say that everyone in America is looking forward to a fresh start in 2013. Just make sure your New Year’s Eve celebration doesn’t land you or someone you meet on an emergency room gurney or in a jail cell.
We here at E3 Spark Plugs want to make sure you’re aware of stats that show you’re more likely to be involved in a drunk driving accident during the November to January holiday season than any other time of year. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that New Year’s Day is the deadliest day of the year for speeding-related fatal crashes, followed by Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other studies show that New Year’s Eve statistically has one of the highest rates of drunk driving fatalities, second only to Thanksgiving Day. NHTSA researchers say 54 percent of all New Year’s Day accident deaths and 38% of Christmas-time car accident deaths are alcohol related.
If you plan to celebrate the dawn of 2013 with a cocktail or two, be sure to find a willing designated driver first. Of course, keep the phone number of a nearby taxi service in your pocket just in case your designee disappears or bails on his or her no-alcohol promise. It happens.
Even if you are that designated driver, be hypersensitive to other drivers on the roadways that night. Thousands will ignore all the best safety advice and hit the roads after drinking. If you spot a driver who just can’t stay in his own lane, jot down the license plate number, take note of the nearest intersection street names, then pull over and call your local highway patrol or police department. You could end up saving lives.
From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, have a safe and happy New Year!
