Stay Safe on the Road this St. Patty's Day

It’s that time again: shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer make St. Patrick’s Day a fun way to celebrate Irish heritage. Inevitably, bars will be overflowing the weekend of the holiday, making it one of the biggest drinking days of the year. The unfortunate consequence? An uptick in the rate of DUI arrests and accidents caused by drunk drivers. That’s why Virginia State Police are urging party goers to make a plan to get home safely before they begin imbibing.

Amidst the crowds, music and booze, it’s easy to lose sight of the consequences drinking and driving entails. On St. Patrick’s Day in 2014, more than a quarter of all fatal traffic accidents involved drunk drivers. After midnight, that rate rose to nearly 50 percent. Just as with New Years Eve and Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day is an incredibly dangerous time to be on the road.

Ride-Share Apps

Thankfully, there are more ways than ever to get home safely from the festivities. The National Highways Traffic Safety Administration has launched a SaferRide app that quickly allows users to call a taxi or friend for a ride home. Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft are affordable options, too. Have a plan before you begin drinking to ensure you can get home safely when you are under the influence. Crashes caused by drunk drivers are 100 percent preventable – so long as we can spread awareness about the dangers and legal ramifications of drinking and driving.

Virginia Personal Injury Attorneys

Car accidents and wrecks, especially those that result in the wrongful death of an innocent victim, are horrific events – and the event is made all the more awful when it turns out that the at-fault driver was driving drunk. Virginia personal injury and wrongful death attorney Richard Serpe has helped victims and their families for over 30 years. If you’ve lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, or have been injured, contact us to discuss your rights.