Connecticut residents may not be surprised to hear that the holidays see more drunk driving deaths. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a program that collects data for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the worst holiday for DUI deaths is the Fourth of July.
In eight years (2010 to 2017), there were 1,192 DUI fatalities on the Fourth of July. The fatality rate has been calculated as 42.4 people per day. The second deadliest holiday is Memorial Day. A total of 1,105 DUI fatalities were reported on this day between 2010 and 2017. This was followed by Labor Day, New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Summer tends to be a high-risk season for DUI. However, the chances of a DUI-related fatality occurring goes up a further 57% on Independence Day. This was true in 2017, when 184 people died over the Fourth of July weekend but an average of 117 died on equivalent four-to-five-day periods in the summer.
One more factor heightens risk — having Independence Day fall on a weekday. If July Fourth falls on a Wednesday, the fatality rate jumps to 52. Saturday is the safest with an average fatality rate of 36.3.
Unfortunately, many commercial truckers also feel the temptation to get drunk during the holidays. If a drunk commercial driver causes a trucking crash, an injured victim could have grounds for a personal injury claim. Before the two-year statute of limitations runs out, a victim may want to retain legal counsel and proceed with a case. A settlement could lead to compensation that covers medical bills and other damages.
