A Fort Worth car accident lawyer explains what drivers need to know to stay safe during the holidays.
As the holiday season gets into full swing, the Texas Department of Transportation has some advice for drivers throughout the state – make sure you find a sober ride home and don't contribute to a drunk driving car accident.
"Get together with family and friends and have a great time, but please find an alternative way home if you choose to drink," TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a recent statement. "You have many options available."
Drunk driving consistently results in serious and fatal accidents in Texas. If you or someone you care about was hit by a drunk driver in Fort Worth, contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney At Law, P.C., for a free consultation to review your legal rights and potential options for compensation.
Drunk driving accidents are common in Texas.
Collisions caused by drunk drivers have been a serious problem in Texas for years. Even when it's not the holidays, Texas is often one of the worst states in the nation for car crashes caused by impaired drivers.
One study by Forbes found that Texas was the third worst state nationwide for drunk driving accidents. This was due to the fact that Texas has the most drunk driving accidents caused by drivers under 21 years old.
Here's another startling statistic – more than 38 percent of car accident fatalities in Texas involve drunk drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. That's nearly 1,500 drunk driving deaths each year on average in Texas, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) accident data.
Drunk driving crashes are prevalent during the holiday season.
While collisions caused by drunk drivers can happen any time of year, the holidays can be especially bad in Texas. Between Dec. 1, 2021, and Jan. 1, 2022, there were 48,641 car accidents in Texas, resulting in 1,695 injuries and 433 fatalities. Of those accidents, 23 percent were caused by drunk drivers last holiday season, resulting in 236 injuries and 98 deaths during the month of December.
What can drivers do to prevent a holiday drunk driving accident?
The Texas Department of Transportation has many safety tips for drivers aimed at preventing drunk driving accidents during the holiday season. Such tips include:
- Before going out with friends or family members, designate a sober driver.
- If you don't have a sober driver in your group, call a taxi or a ridesharing service such as Uber or Lyft.
- Another alternative – call home and ask if a sober family member can drive you home.
- If you can, wait where you are until someone can pick you up.
- Take a bus or use other forms of public transportation.
You often have many options if you are not sober enough to drive. Make sure you explore every available option and never drive drunk.
When you've been hit by a drunk driver, call Coby Wooten.
If you were in an accident involving a drunk driver, you might think you don't need an attorney to handle your claim. Unfortunately, many car accident claims – even ones that seem straightforward – often become complicated legal cases. And if you're not careful, you could miss out on the compensation you're entitled to under Texas law.
Experienced legal representation can often make a dramatic difference in the outcome of your case, and we have over 30 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured crash victims in Texas. To see how a Fort Worth car accident lawyer can help with your potential legal case, contact us today to learn more about your legal rights.