5 Tips To Avoid A Labor Day Drunk Driving Accident (If You Don’t Want To Stay Off The Road Completely)

With Labor Day weekend just around the corner, your likelihood of being involved in a drunk driving accident in San Francisco and all across California increases tenfold. Much like the Fourth of July and other holidays in the United States, Labor Day weekend brings a surge in DUI accidents.

And it makes sense why. People consume more alcohol during the holiday weekend than normally, and this often leads to bad decisions. An intoxicated person’s decision to operate a vehicle during Labor Day weekend, when the number of car drivers and pedestrians on the streets of San Francisco skyrockets, can lead to devastating consequences.

Our San Francisco drunk driving accident attorney at the Allegiance Law says that although driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs causes more than 350,000 injuries and over 10,000 fatalities throughout the year, the risk of being involved in a DUI accident is greater than ever during Labor Day weekend.

That is why it makes sense to outline safety tips to avoid being involved in a drunk driving accident in California.

The DUI problem of Labor Day weekend

While the most obvious advice would be to stay off the road completely, we know it is not going to happen. Labor Day weekend is as stressful as it is fun. With children returning to school and people realizing that summer is over, there is a lot of hustle during the holiday weekend.

People meet their families and friends, go to bars, restaurants, and parties, and host BBQ parties to take their minds off the stressful and frustrating stuff. As you may have guessed by now, in the vast majority of cases it involves alcohol. Tons of it.

Fact: According to Alcohol.org, Americans consume an average of 3.2 drinks during Labor Day weekend, which is more than on winter holidays and Thanksgiving, 3.1 and 2.7 drinks respectively.

If you are planning to drink alcohol this Labor Day weekend, do keep in mind that it is crucial to stay off the road until sober. Do not risk your own life and the lives of others by operating a vehicle intoxicated to go home. Instead, call a cab or request a ride through Uber or Lyft. Or, even better, spend the night at your relative or friend’s house.

Safety tips to avoid a DUI accident during Labor Day weekend

Our experienced drunk driving accident attorney in San Francisco says that in order to avoid being hit by or becoming a drunk driver this Labor Day, follow these safety tips:

• Drink or offer non-alcoholic drinks. If you arrive at a party in your car or motorcycle, opt for non-alcoholic drinks. Or if you host a party or BBQ at your place, you could potentially save many lives by offering non-alcoholic drinks for designated drivers or at least controlling their alcohol intake throughout the night and preventing them from driving home drunk (call a cab for them or let them sleepover!).
• Stop drinking early. Let’s be honest: It is impossible to prevent all drivers from driving under the influence of alcohol during Labor Day weekend. The least you can do, if you drink during the holiday weekend, is to stop drinking early enough to sober up and only then drive. This requires you to know your limits (which is problematic for many people).
• Plan ahead. If you are planning to drink during Labor Day weekend, make arrangements for someone else to drive you home in advance or make sure that you have an Uber or Lyft app on your phone (and several numbers of taxi companies).
• Avoid driving or riding between midnight and 3:00 am. Regardless of whether you are planning to consume alcohol or not, it is highly advised to stay off the road between midnight and 3:00 am whether you are a car driver, passenger, motorcyclist, or pedestrian. The vast majority of DUI accidents occur in that period.
• Stay alert. Even if you did not consume even a teaspoon of alcohol and are leaving a Labor Day party completely sober, there is still no guarantee that you can get home in one piece. There will be plenty of drunk drivers on the road, especially between midnight and 3:00 am, which is why you should stay alert during your trip and keep your eyes focused on the road at all times.

If you have been in a DUI accident on Labor Day, do not hesitate to speak to our San Francisco drunk driving accident attorney at the Allegiance Law. Call our offices at 415-404-6395 or complete this contact form to schedule a free consultation.