In the next several months, there will be a number of holidays that could influence traffic. Halloween, Blackout Wednesday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve are all approaching, which can make this time of year more dangerous for people driving for work, school or other activities.
Among the most dangerous days of the year and one to be particularly aware of is Blackout Wednesday. Blackout Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving. It is a time when many people will be traveling and reaching their homes or families’ homes as they plan to see each other over the extended holiday weekend.
Blackout Wednesday is one of the most dangerous days of the year.
Get to know the first drinking weekend of the year
Blackout Wednesday is technically the first drinking weekend of the holiday season, and it actually rivals both St. Patrick’s Day and New Year’s Eve in terms of the amount of alcohol sold and consumed.
There are a few reasons why it’s more common to see people driving drunk on this date. Some include:
- People have work off for Thanksgiving, so they drink without as many restrictions since they have a longer weekend
- Some people drink to cope with seeing family who they may be uncomfortable with
- College-age students may have just turned 21 and are looking to drink with old friends from their hometowns
Unfortunately, it is true that Blackout Wednesday normalizes binge drinking, which means that it’s more likely for people to be intoxicated than usual. Binge drinking may put drivers at particular risk of being too drunk to drive, because they may not realize just how much they’ve had to drink or that their tolerance isn’t as high as they thought.
The National Safety Council estimates that over 400 people die during the Thanksgiving holiday period. Alcohol consumption plays a large role in those deaths, but it can be minimized. Remember to have a sober driver if you plan to drink, or else you should stay where you are until you can get a sober ride home. If you’re hit, call 911 to report the drunk driving collision, so you can get the help you need.