Safe July 4th Celebrations

Avoiding the Statistics This Independence Day

 

July 4th is quickly approaching and this year is shaping up to look vastly different than last. Most of the country is reopened and things resuming some sort of normalcy. People will be flocking to the beach, backyard pool parties, and nighttime festivities. 

Tragically, Independence Day also marks one of the deadliest days on American roads for driving under the influence. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 812 people died in drunk driving crashes during the Fourth of July holiday period from 2014-2018.

According to the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Fact Sheet:

  • 515 people died in motor vehicle crashes over the 2019 July 4th holiday period.
  • 38% of those fatal accidents involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
  • 69% of the fatal accidents during the 2019 Fourth of July holiday period involved a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .15% or above.
  • In general, nearly ⅓ of all fatal traffic accidents in the United States involve a drunk driver.
  • In 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk driving accident.

The Dangers of Impaired Driving

It is not just drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) over 0.08% that present a problem. Driving while impaired can happen even if your blood alcohol level is under the legal limit. 

Utah recently became the first state to lower its BAC standards from 0.08% to 0.05%. Many toxicologists argue that people become impaired by alcohol at levels lower than 0.08% and have been pushing for more states to lower their legal limits.

If you are struggling with alcohol dependence or addiction, there are options for treatment. It is never too late to get the help that you need.