With the long weekend that comes with Memorial Day, many drivers may have found themselves on the road, looking forward to either going away for the weekend or enjoying the extra weekend night. Drivers may have press a little harder on the accelerator to get to their destination faster or gotten behind the wheel after having a little too much alcohol and think they may get away with it. But unfortunately, the National Safety Council estimated that more than 300 drivers would not get away with it, as total traffic fatalities for this month alone are expected to be 3,073 with more than 300 coming from the Memorial Day weekend. Another 46,300 were expected to suffer injuries in an accident during the weekend, traditionally considered the start of the summer.
Ohio law enforcement officials were urging drivers to be careful and drive smarter, not just throughout the year but specifically over the long weekend. With more than 200 traffic fatalities having already occurred across the state since the beginning of the year, law enforcement officials are trying to curb the number of accidents by asking drivers to wear seat belts, avoid texting and driving, and most importantly, steer clear of drinking and driving.
Driving is dangerous enough as it is, and a lot of factors contribute to whether an accident will happen. Not all of those factors are within a driver’s control. But drinking and driving is one of those factors that drivers can control by restraining alcohol use or asking someone else to drive for them when they are intoxicated.
Enjoying a long weekend is no crime, but when the enjoyment means climbing behind the wheel while intoxicated, it is possible that a crime and a fatality may result. These fatalities may end up changing the course of many lives and nothing can be done to make those families whole again. However, an accident victim’s family members may decide to try to hold the drunk driver responsible for their actions through a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: KSNT, “Almost 400 traffic fatalities expected during Memorial Day Weekend,” Natalie Davis, May 25, 2015