We hope that you and your family had a fun, memorable and safe Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, several Californians encountered drunk drivers on the highways during the holiday weekend. So did the California Highway Patrol, which arrested more than 1,000 drivers on suspicion of DUI.
CHP says drunk driving arrests over the holiday weekend jumped 17 percent compared with the same time period last year. Obviously, far fewer people were out and about over the holidays in November 2020, which could partly explain the surge in drunk driving. But it is also likely that more drivers chose to be irresponsible and drive drunk after a Thanksgiving gathering. They could have made other arrangements, like using a designated driver, calling a cab, ordering a rideshare, or not drinking, but they did not.
Fatalities also went up for the long weekend
Though it’s not clear how many of these were caused by drunk drivers, the number of deaths in car accidents during the holiday weekend went up 14 percent year-over-year. However, it’s very likely that many of those deaths were the result of impaired driving. Alcohol affects your brain in several ways that reduce your ability to drive safely. It robs you of your ability to react quickly to danger, focus on the road and make safe decisions.
The possible results of a drunk driver’s poor decisions
Someone hit by a drunk driver on Thanksgiving may have more than a ruined holiday ahead of them. Assuming you survive, a serious bodily injury could require surgery, rehabilitation, medication and more to heal. Or you could end up permanently disabled. The cost to you and your family in terms of bills, pain, suffering and reduced quality of life.