Maryland State Police Troopers responded to the scene of 21 drunk driving accidents on June 5 and June 6, and that figure is likely to be eclipsed in the coming months as the nation enters its busiest road travel period of the year. Drunk driving arrests and accidents soar in the summer months for two main reasons. The first reason is a surge in road traffic caused by families taking vacations and students making the most of their summer breaks. The second reason is holiday weekends.
Holiday drunk driving
Holiday weekends that occur in the summer months are often celebrated at barbecues and parties where alcohol is available and guests tend to let their hair down and have a good time. Unfortunately, many of these people then choose to get behind the wheel instead of calling a taxi or a ride-sharing service. When an auto insurance comparison website studied data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to see how many people died in drunk driving crashes over various celebratory weekends, Father’s Day emerged as the fifth most dangerous holiday to take a road trip.
Father’s Day
Between 2016 and 2018, 1,318 road users lost their lives in Father’s Day weekend motor vehicle accidents that involved an intoxicated driver. The Labor Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day weekends were even more deadly. The figures released by the MSP on June 7 suggest that emergency services workers will be busy on Father’s Day. Ten of the 21 crashes troopers responded to involved multiple vehicles, and four of them caused injuries that required hospital treatment.
Suing impaired drivers
If you are injured in an accident caused by a driver who had been drinking or taking drugs, an experienced personal injury attorney could use the police report to establish intoxication and negligence in a lawsuit filed on your behalf. If the impaired driver is sent to jail and is unable to pay damages, an attorney may take legal action against their insurance company. This litigation could seek damages to cover your medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering and lost income.
