Holiday weekends are some of the deadliest times on Oklahoma roads. Often, people are cautious of driving on the Fourth of July and other summer holidays, when they know many people will be celebrating a hot holiday with cold beer. July 4 is the deadliest driving day of the year, with an average of 144 traffic fatalities each year. Of course, New Year's Eve is also notorious with widespread end-of-year celebrations the day before those New Year's Resolutions (and hangovers) kick in. On average, there are 36 alcohol-related traffic fatalities each day in the United States, and during the New Year's holiday, the average number of DUI deaths jumps to 54.
However, the whole holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving and ending on New Year's Day is one of the most dangerous seasons for motor vehicle accidents. In fact, the day before Thanksgiving has such a high rate of DUI accidents that it has become known as "Black Wednesday."
Black Wednesday kicks off the holiday traffic season, and during the weeks from Black Wednesday through New Year's Day, the average daily number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities is 45.
What fuels the increase in traffic fatalities during the holiday season? There are three main factors that contribute to an increase in accidents and traffic deaths:
Early celebration is the main reason for the increase in accidents on Black Wednesday. Bar owners say their establishments are packed on "Thanksgiving Eve," with college students home visiting friends before spending the day with their families, family members trying to take the edge off of visits with in-laws, and others looking to socialize or drown their sorrows the day before Thanksgiving.
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office releases annual Crash Facts and Fact Sheets providing statistics about traffic accidents in Oklahoma, including accidents by vehicle type, time of year, and alcohol involvement. The 2013 Thanksgiving Holiday Fact Sheet shows that there were 10 traffic deaths in eight fatal accidents last year in Oklahoma during the 102-hour span from the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving through midnight the following Sunday. While the 10 deaths was a decrease from 12 traffic fatalities during the same time period the following year, it is a significant increase from prior years:
Of the 10 auto accident fatalities during Thanksgiving weekend last year, half involved alcohol.
Keep yourself and your family safe by choosing not to drive after drinking alcohol, do not travel while you're sleepy, and if you are taking a long road trip, make frequent stops to keep yourself refreshed. Be aware of traffic conditions, and no matter how eager you are to arrive at your destination (or to arrive home), drive safely and obey speed limits.
Happy Thanksgiving from the attorneys and staff at the Law Firm of Oklahoma.
