Labor Day Safety

By Mike Glisson | August 28, 2020

Labor Day weekend is coming up. It is a fun weekend to celebrate and commemorate summer traditions such as grilling out or hanging out by the pool. Due to this many more people than usual will be out drinking as well. Labor Day weekend has an increase in traffic deaths of 300-400% from normal days. 

According to the NHTSA, Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher). In 2018, there were 10,511 people killed in these preventable crashes”.

In just the 2018 Labor Day weekend there were 439 traffic crash deaths. 43% of those involved drivers that had been drinkng.

Ways alcohol inhibits driving

Alcohol inhibits your ability to drive in many ways including:

  • Impairs judgment
  • limits coordination
  • Affects comprehension
  • Slows reaction time 
  • Impairs vision and hearing

Consequences of drinking and driving

Drinking while driving has many many consequences. Not only are you at high risk for hurting or killing yourself, your passengers or others on the road but there are also several legal consequences.

 It is illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC higher than .08. According to the NHTSA, “Charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time. It’s also extremely expensive. A first-time offense can cost the driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees.”

In fact, the NHTSA has kicked off their Labor Day impaired driving high visibility enforcement compaign and “Motorists can expect to see increased law enforcement on the road from August 19 through September 7”. 

Plan to be safe

So – before you go into this labor day weekend PLAN to be safe.

  • Always have a safe ride home. Assign a designated driver that will not drink.
  • Hold each other accountable. Encourage non alcoholic drinks in between drinks. Take keys away from friends who have been drinking. 
  • As a host offer non alcoholic drinks and be sure no one drives home drunk. 
  • If you drink, never drive. Call a taxi, ride sharing app, or sober friend. 

Contact: Glisson Law

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