Call it Drinksgiving, Drunksgiving or Blackout Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday with a bang — and a lot of booze.
Most of those drinking will be sensible enough to stay home (or at least get a ride instead of trying to drive). However, there are always some people who will still get behind the wheel of a car after some hard partying.
That’s not the only danger, however. Far too many others will wake up Thursday morning and set out for Grandma’s house for dinner while they’re still hungover.
Why is hungover driving a problem?
Essentially, the biggest problem with hungover driving is that many people who do it don’t realize that they’re one of two things:
- Still actually intoxicated, because there hasn’t been enough time for their body to fully metabolize the alcohol in their systems
- Suffering from common hangover consequences, like headaches, fatigue, vertigo, nausea, sensitivity to light, disorientation, slower reflexes and other problem
In neither case should these drivers be on the road. However, far too many will simply swallow a few Tylenol, drink some water and struggle along, never realizing exactly how much danger they’re causing until they actually cause a wreck.
The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates there will be about 515 deaths on the roads during the upcoming holiday weekend, and roughly 29% of those will involve drunk driving. Thousands more will be seriously injured in such crashes.
It pays to be informed about holiday dangers when you’re on the road, if only to be more conscious of the risks and more inclined to engage in some proactive defensive driving. If you do end up injured in a crash this Thanksgiving weekend, make sure that you have experienced guidance to protect your legal interests.