Labor Day is on its way, and that means saying goodbye to the last days of summer over a long weekend with family and friends. There’s little not to love about the holiday, including barbeques, fun in the sun, and iced-down coolers full of beer. Unfortunately, however, Labor Day isn’t just about fun and frolicking; it’s also closely associated with increased alcohol-related traffic accidents. Festivities and drinking often go hand and hand, and holidays like Labor Day also see an uptick in travel as people hit the road to come together for summer’s last hurrah. When you take to the road this Labor Day holiday, make safety your top priority.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the Labor Day holiday is among the most dangerous for accidents on our highways and byways and that State and local enforcement agencies implement increased efforts—known as Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over—throughout the long weekend to help keep our roads safer for everyone. The NHTSA shares that increased efforts to keep drunk drivers off the roads have helped to cut drunk driving fatalities by nearly 50 percent. Nonetheless, about 10,000 people are lost to alcohol-related accidents each year.Staying Safe out There
If you’ll be joining the throngs of people who are traveling this Labor Day, take the time to plan ahead and to make safe choices when you get behind the wheel. Statistics reveal that drunk driving remains a very real threat. Protect yourself and your family by adhering to important guidelines for safety:- The peak accident hours are from 6 PM to 6 AM; planning your travel around these hours can help you stay off the roads when they’re at their most dangerous.
- Never head out in your vehicle without first ensuring that everyone in it is safely buckled up.
- If you’ll be celebrating with alcohol this Labor Day, plan on staying put, designating a driver, or using a rideshare app to get home. Don’t drink and drive.
