With the holidays close at hand, the team at Crane Flores Injury & Car Accident Lawyers wants to call attention to National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. This season yields an increase of celebrations with family and friends, travel, and alcohol. Make sure to take precautions on the road and practice safe driving behaviors yourself.
Impaired driving occurs when a driver is distracted, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This creates a risk for both the driver and anyone else the driver encounters. An impaired driver is usually unable to quickly assess driving conditions or the consequences of their actions due to compromised judgment. Unfortunately, this distraction or diminished capacity can destroy far more than their car from an accident. Their decision to drive impaired can harm other drivers and their passengers, pedestrians, and themselves. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, “In 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.”
The holidays are an important time to reconnect with family and friends. Come up with a plan to make sure you have a ride to and from your destination with a designated driver or wait until your judgment recovers to travel anywhere. If you’re not sure you’ll have a ride, try installing a ride-hailing app like Lyft or Uber on your phone.
Teens can also be a cause for concern, especially because many get drivers’ licenses before they’re legally allowed to drink. Underage drinking is still present in our society and it is important to educate our children and teens so they understand the consequences of their actions. Several programs, including Too Smart to Start, aim to help youth and families prevent underage drinking and the dangers associated with it.
There are also helpful online guides such as Teen Drugged Driving: Parent, Coalition and Community Group Activity Guide to provide youth and families with valuable information regarding drugged driving from different organizations. It’s important to teach our youth about making smart decisions so they can practice safe driving. The same holds true for adults in that they must set a suitable example and focus on keeping their families safe.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident, contact Crane Flores Injury & Car Accident Lawyers today for a free consultation. You can call us any time, day or night, at (805) 292-7074. We want to help you get the compensation you deserve. We hope you have a wonderful holiday surrounded by family and friends. Remember to stay safe!