Celebrate Safe During the Holidays
December is filled with holiday celebrations often including alcohol. Sadly, the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day have become one of the deadliest and most dangerous times on America’s roadways due to an increase in impaired driving. It’s not a coincidence that December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.
To help our neighbors celebrate safely on New Year’s Eve, William Mattar will be giving away $20 Uber Ride Discount Vouchers to the first 1,000 eligible registrants.
Registration will be open from 12:00pm Noon on December 20, 2024, through 12:00pm Noon on December 27, 2024, to eligible New York State registrants. Each eligible and valid registrant will receive a $20 Uber Ride Discount Voucher to redeem from 8:00pm on December 31, 2024, though 8:00am on January 1, 2025. Please read the terms and conditions for all details, then fill out the registration form below. Please enter the email address associated with your Uber account, and we will have the ride discount voucher emailed to the first 1,000 valid registrants
Registration for our 2024 Safe Ride Home 4 the Holidays program has concluded. We hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday season, and always choose to celebrate safely. Have a Happy New Year and wonderful 2025!!
It’s Never OK to Drive Under the Influence
December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, a time to educate and remind drivers about the consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Law enforcement agencies also increase patrols and checkpoints to limit drunk driving and the devastating circumstances that can arise. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation:
- In 2022, over 13,524 people lost their lives due to alcohol-related driving traffic incidents in the U.S.
- Even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2020, there were 2,041 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where a driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL. Learn more about the effects and levels of BAC.
- Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that's one person every 39 minutes. Alcohol-impaired fatalities make up more than a quarter of all crash fatalities.
- Driving while impaired is not only a dangerous crime, but it can be an incredibly costly one as well. A first-time offense may cost more than $10,000 in fines and legal fees.
- If a fatality happens due to taking this unnecessary risk, families will be destroyed, and your conscience will likely be haunted by your actions every day for the rest of your life.
- YOU can PREVENT the danger and chaos. Avoid driving impaired and keep everyone, including yourself, safe.
At William Mattar law offices we want everyone to be safe when celebrating the holidays with friends and family. Please do not drink and drive. If your holiday plans involve consuming alcohol, make a plan to get home safely. Choose a designated driver, call a sober friend, call a taxi, or a ride share service to get you to your final destination. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), traffic fatalities have risen since 2019.
Many preventable factors such as impaired driving and distracted driving are contributing to the alarming numbers.
Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a serious crime with fines and penalties associated with each conviction. Judgment, coordination and ability to drive a vehicle change after you consume any amount of alcohol. According to the DMV, penalties for alcohol and drug-related violations can be very serious. Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated (.18 BAC or higher) can result in a jail term of one year, second and third offenses potentially resulting in sentences of four and seven years, respectively. Of course, penalties include mandatory fines and license revocation. A suspended license may be reissued after the suspension period is over, but not before driving classes (taken at your expense), monetary fees, and retaking your driver’s test. A DWI conviction may always haunt you. When you get your driver’s license back, it may be difficult to get automobile insurance at a reasonable cost. If you plan to apply for a job that involves driving, you may not get a job offer. The penalties in New York State for repeat DWI offenders get increasingly stricter. The bottom line: driving while under the influence of alcohol, no matter how little you think you may have consumed, is just not worth it. If you or a loved one was struck by a drunk driver, call the personal injury lawyers at William Mattar today at (844) 444 - 4444. Our drunk-driving accident lawyers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist you in any way possible.
Stay safe and plan ahead:
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, The level of alcohol impairment depends on five conditions:
- The amount of alcohol you drink.
- The amount of food you eat before or while you drink alcohol.
- The length of time you drink alcohol.
- Your body weight.
- Your gender.
There is no quick method to become sober. The best method is to wait until your body absorbs the alcohol. The average rate that your body processes alcohol is approximately one drink per hour. If you plan on drinking, do not drive. If you do drink, consider asking a sober friend to drive you to you to your destination, call a taxi, a ride share service.
DWI and New York Road Conditions
The combination of drunk driving and winter weather can be extremely dangerous. Impaired drivers may lose their ability to assess road conditions and handle problems that arise due to icy roads and poor visibility. The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reports that most drunk driving accidents occur after 9:00 pm and peak between midnight and 4:00 am. Drivers under the influence of alcohol will drive too slow, too fast, swerve back and forth or even drive the wrong way. Head-on collisions due to drunk drivers going the wrong way are among the worst types of accident, often resulting in severe injuries and fatalities. In addition, drunk drivers can cause multiple car pileups if they are driving recklessly on highways or interstates and attempt to change lanes without looking behind them. We strongly believe in staying safe when deciding to go out and celebrate the holidays. That’s why the William Mattar Safe Ride Home 4 the Holidays program is designed with one goal in mind - to prevent impaired driving. Drunk driving is against the law, and William Mattar law offices encourages you to drink responsibly and be safe and responsible drivers.