St. Patrick's Day, spring break mean more impaired drivers on the road
Spring is upon us, and that means more Texas residents are going to be enjoying the warmer weather. That does mean there will be an increase in drinking, and unfortunately, an increase in drunk driving as well. St. Patrick's Day in particular is one of the top drinking days of the year, and has been linked to an increase in drunk driving fatalities.
According to data compiled by the Texas Department of Transportation, driving under the influence of alcohol was a factor in more than 14,000 crashes in 2014, including 604 fatal crashes. That made drunk driving the most common factor by far in traffic fatalities in Texas.
Texas has some of the toughest laws on drunk driving in the nation with mandatory jail time even for first-time offenders and no "lookback period" for the purposes of determining sentencing. Despite those laws, and despite public service announcements throughout the year warning motorists not to drive while intoxicated, drunk drivers continue to put others at risk.
Drunk drivers cause fatalities, serious injuries, property damage
While drunk driving has declined somewhat as a cause of accidents in general over the past few decades, it remains a leading cause of fatalities. That's because drunk drivers often drive at unsafe speeds and are involved in head-on-collisions, which are especially deadly due to the amount of relative force involved.
Young drivers are especially likely to be involved in drunk driving accidents. That's a problem in March in particular due to the number of college students on the roads during spring break.
Even a single drink can impair a motorist's driving and increase the risk of an accident. That said, the more alcohol is in a driver's system, the greater the danger. Unfortunately, a high percentage of drivers involved in collisions on St. Patrick's Day are at more than twice the legal limit.
If you're injured in a collision involving a drunk driver on St. Patrick's Day or at any other time of the year, you shouldn't have to pay for the accident yourself. You need a capable personal injury lawyer to help you hold the drunk driver accountable. Our legal team will pore over police reports, interview witnesses and investigate the scene of the accident. On holidays, it's common to have a case not only against the drunk driver but also against the supplier of the alcohol - if, for instance, the driver was underage or was served while already visibly drunk.
At the Law Offices of John R. Solis, we hold drunk drivers accountable for the harm they cause and help accident victims get the compensation they deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.