This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a weekend, which means countless people across Pennsylvania will be taking the opportunity to celebrate. For many, this means donning green and enjoying at least a few green alcoholic beverages.
Sadly, this celebration could turn to devastation if an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel. Below, we offer a few suggestions to help people avoid drunk driving accidents this weekend.
- Have a sober driver. Even if you only have a couple drinks, you could experience some amount of impairment. This not only makes you a danger behind the road, but it can make it much more difficult to identify other dangerous drivers on the road. To avoid all this, call an Uber, designate a driver, take the bus or find another way to avoid getting behind the wheel.
- Steer clear of swerving drivers. If you see another driver who appears to be drunk, do your best to avoid him or her safely. You can also pull over and call 911 to report a drunk driver. Be sure you have information like license plates and a description of the troubling behavior.
- Stay off the roads. Staying off the roads, especially late at night, can be a good way to avoid drunk drivers. You might make a plan to spend the night at a friend’s house or head home during the daytime to avoid peak hours of drunk drivers. If possible, you could also avoid highways or downtown areas.
According to materials from the U.S. Department Transportation, 60 people were killed in drunk driving accidents during the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Holiday period, and that did not fall on the weekend.
As such, we urge readers of this blog to use caution and take steps to avoid a drunk driving accident this weekend. If you do get into a crash involving a drunk driver, you can discuss with an attorney your options for filing a legal claim to pursue compensation for your damages.