DUI Driver Arrests, Collisions Rise on New Year’s Eve
CALIFORNIA — New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights to drive anywhere.
Understandably, the CHP will be out to ensure the roads are safe for everyone during the Maximum Enforcement Period for the New Year’s holiday that kicks off at 6 p.m. tonight.
While the safest place to be is at home, if you do drive it’s best to avoid traveling between midnight and 4 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP is urging motorists who plan to drink alcohol to have a designated driver or use a ride-share service.
The goal of the CHP is to remove any drivers who are DUI, but police officers will be outnumbered. Every year, the New Year’s Eve holiday results in dozens of deaths and many of them involved drivers who are DUI. Indeed, the CHP states that traffic accidents are nearly twice as likely to be fatal than other nights on New Year’s Eve. Statistics show that typically there are four fatal crashes on a given day in Southern California, but there are about seven on New Year’s Eve.
Sadly, these are collisions that are mostly preventable and are not only caused by DUI drivers but also distracted motorists or drowsy drivers. About 16 percent of the collisions on New Year’s Eve take place between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Pedestrians should take steps to ensure their own safety by crossing only at marked crosswalks and obeying traffic signals.
Johnson Attorneys Group is a longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Our law firm hopes that everyone has a safe and happy New Year. If you would like to contribute to this story, please contact us.
- Fatal San Jose Crash Interstate 880 Freeway, Montague Expressway - June 8, 2023
- Pittsburg Crash on Highway 4, Near Loveridge Road - June 8, 2023
- Lindsay Turmelle Arrested for Fatal Bicycle Accident in Carlsbad - June 8, 2023
