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Ryan Kolbeck

Thanksgiving DUIs: Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking

Now that fall has whispered it, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and it is a wonderful time to get together with your family and friends. Many people travel into the state as well as out of state to visit with their loved ones.

It’s typical to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade and to enjoy a feast. Dinner may also include drinks, and family or friends may enjoy drinks while watching a Thanksgiving Day football game after dinner, too.

While drinking is a normal part of Thanksgiving Day festivities, you need to remember that drinking increases the risk of getting a DUI or being involved in a DUI-related collision. That’s why it’s a good idea to plan to stay at your destination overnight or to avoid drinking if you’ll be driving home. Plan for a sober ride if you will be drinking and need to travel later on.

Thanksgiving and Blackout Wednesday

Due to people partying and seeing friends and family they may not normally be around, drinking is fairly common on the night before Thanksgiving as well as Thanksgiving Day. According to statistics from 2018, bars reported seeing an increase in sales of 270% on beer and 114% on liquor on Blackout Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving.

With over 45 million Americans traveling during the week of Thanksgiving, it’s also a time when more drivers are on the road. Over 800 people, on average, are killed in drunk-driving crashes during this time.

Your actions make a difference on Thanksgiving

Remember that your actions can change lives while you’re celebrating the holiday. If you plan to drink, you have options like staying overnight at the venue or home, calling a taxi or using a rideshare service. If you can’t find a safe ride home, then don’t drink.

Drunk driving is a crime, so if you do drive while impaired, you could be stopped and arrested. If you cause a collision, you could be charged for a DUI as well as facing lawsuits and civil penalties for causing a collision while intoxicated, harming others, damaging property or causing death.

The holidays are a time to celebrate, but safety has to come first. Be cautious this year, so everyone can make it to their destinations safely.

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