The hidden risk of road travel for Christmas or New Year’s

On Behalf of Mallilo & Grossman Attorneys at Law | Dec 9, 2020 | car accidents |

Travel, especially short- to moderate-length road trips, are commonly a part of holiday celebrations for people across New York and the United States as a whole. Most people don’t think twice about driving across the state or even a few states to spend an afternoon with their family during the holidays.

While it might not be particularly exciting to start and end your day in a car, being able to enjoy a meal with family and to enjoy the same traditional decorations you have your entire life can be well worth the inconvenience of a few hours on the road during one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Unfortunately, not everyone traveling for the holidays is going to make it safely to their party or back home again. On Christmas day, throughout the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and on New Year’s as well, you will have an increased risk for a crash caused by a drunk driver while commuting for holiday celebrations.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of the worst

Both Christmas and New Year’s are holidays associated with lavish parties and copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, having multiple days off from work in a short amount of time might lead some people to treat the week in between those holidays like a sort of spring break.

Quite a few people will overindulge both on their days off and when they get done with work for the day during the awkward week between holidays, which means a 34% increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities.

Drunk drivers have no excuse for putting you at risk

Everyone knows that the holidays come with a little bit of overindulgence, but that doesn’t excuse people who don’t acknowledge their limits or who make the unsafe choice to have one last drink for the road. Especially for people staying with family, the option of spending a little more time to sober up may not be appealing, but it is a safer decision.

If someone causes you injury or severe property damage because they get behind the wheel after celebrating too hard, they could be liable for the impact of their decision on your life. Talking with a lawyer can give you an idea about how to handle insurance claims or any civil lawsuit you need to file.