Car Accidents And St Patricks Day Festivities
March 13, 2015
Car accidents and St. Patrick’s Day festivities
For many in the Pittsburgh area, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the best holidays of the year. Revelers of all descents gear up for parties and parades planned for the holiday. On this day all truly believe that they are Irish for the day. However, some people in the area tend to over-imbibe. When people drink too much and get behind the wheel, car accidents and fatal car accidents are inevitable. If you’re going out for this year’s festivities and you plan on drinking, don’t drive.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, the festivities will occur the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, on 14 March. Adding to the celebratory environment this year and every year are the NCAA basketball tournament games.
Aware of this sentiment, and the tendency the holiday has to lead to car accidents, law enforcement officers are gearing up for the weekend. In an attempt to minimize injuries and deaths due to drunk driving, roving DUI patrols and sobriety checkpoints have been planned throughout Western Pennsylvania.
Drunk driving is an issue throughout the state of Pennsylvania, regardless of the day on the calendar. In 2013, alcohol was a contributing factor to nearly 12,500 car accidents. As a result of those drunk driving accidents, 459 deaths were reported. Many injuries occurred as a result of drunk driving as well.
Drunk driving is only one of many potential causes of car accidents. They are often the target of law enforcement officers however because they are completely preventable. This is not true of all types of car accidents.
To avoid being involved in a potentially fatal drunk driving accident or be arrested for DUI, the police are advising people who will be drinking this weekend to find alternate methods of transportation, such as a designated driver, bus, or taxi service like Uber or Lyft.
If you have been injured by a drunk driver, call the Pittsburgh car accident attorneys at Goodrich and Geist today for a free consultation at 412-837-8426.
