With Labor Day weekend coming up soon, it’s nearly the end of summertime festivities in New Jersey. Kids go back to school, beaches become sparse and parents get ready for another the impending autumn and winter months. Many see Labor Day weekend as the last hurrah of summer and want to celebrate as such.
Let the beach days and barbecues commence, but do so safely. The holiday weekend is one of the most dangerous times for impaired driving all year long. Nearly half of all deadly crashes over the Labor Day holiday involve some kind of impairment, whether alcohol or drug-related.
With the increased number of impaired drivers traveling home or from one party to another over the holiday weekend, take note of potential roadway dangers and look out for yourself and your family as you celebrate one last summer weekend this year.
Dangers over the holidays
Holidays in the United States are some of the most dangerous time to drive. July, August and September are commonly the deadliest months of the year, in large part because of holidays such as the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
One in three car accidents deaths involved drunk drivers, even with state and national programs aimed to combat the unlawful practice. This year’s Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over Campaign to end the summer runs from August 17 until September 3, concluding with the holiday weekend.
This year’s campaign also targets other forms of impaired driving, specifically drug-related impairments. The campaign slogan is inclusive of this type of impairment, reading, “If you feel different, you drive different. Drive High, Get a DUI.” Even in states with some legalized drugs, driving while under the influence is still illegal and just as dangerous no matter the criminalization of the substance.
Victims of impaired drivers
No one should have to worry about the dangers of impaired drivers, particularly over a celebratory time like Labor Day weekend. Drivers who choose to get behind the wheel while drunk or otherwise impaired need to face legal consequences for those choices.
Drive safely this holiday weekend and know that you have options if involved in an impaired driving accident. The holiday weekend should mark a celebration of the conclusion of summer, not a dangerous time for drivers and passengers on the roads getting home.