New Years accidents still an annual pandemic
There are still a large number of New Years accidents every year, so everyone should take care to stay safe. Photo Credit: Replytojain/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA
New Year’s Eve is, as all holidays are in the period between becoming an adult and when kids come into the picture, an excuse to get wasted. However, the aftermath is that New Years accidents are a pandemic and one of the worst days to be on the road.
New Years accidents not most deadly but up there
Contrary to popular belief, New Year’s Eve night and New Year’s Day aren’t the deadliest days of the year on the road. Snopes.com discussed it using statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety from 1986 to 2002 and any given Jan. 1 in those years was no deadlier than any given August 3, with 2,413 crash deaths for Aug. 3 from 1986 to 2002 compared to 2,411 for Jan. 1 in that period.
July3 and July 4 are much worse, with and 2,534 and 2,743 crash deaths, respectively, in that period.
New Years is, though the worst day for pedestrians, leading any other day of the year with pedestrian deaths due to crashes in that period, with 410 on Jan. 1 and 401 on Halloween in those years. New Years accidents are a danger though.
AAA wants to remind everyone
AAA, according to AutoGuide, does want everyone to remember New Years accidents involving alcohol, however, are more frequent than any other day of the year and is publicly admonishing everyone to either have a designated driver or grab a cab.
They are correct; according to the New York Times, the IIHS found half of fatal New Years’ accidents between 2004 and 2009 involved a driver with a blood-alcohol content or BAC of 0.08 percent or more, compared to 42 percent for July 4 and 40 percent on St. Patrick’s Day.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in an examination of Dec. 31 to Jan. 5 2009, alone, 40 percent of the 468 fatal crashes involved an impaired driver.
Cabs free in some places
Some cities are so wary of New Years accidents, they’ll even pick up the cab ride. A number of cities offer free cab programs to people who might have overdone it on the champagne once the ball comes down. Interested parties should look into the programs offered in their area, as it could save money. More to the point, it can also save lives.
Besides, it isn’t as if a cab costs as much as a payment on, say, a new Toyota Landcruiser from Michael’s Toyota of Bellevue.
A cab is also a damn sight cheaper than paying a lawyer and the state for a DUI or worse, vehicular manslaughter charges. There has never been a recorded case of a person charged with being responsible under the influence.