Report Shows a 10% Increase in DUIs and Car Accidents on St. Patrick's Day - Adamson Ahdoot LLP

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Report Shows a 10% Increase in DUIs and Car Accidents on St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2022 Robert Jalon

What began as a religious holiday in honor of a patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day, has now become a secular holiday celebrating Irish culture across America. March 17th, the day St. Patrick was thought to have died, is known for its green beer and shamrocks. It’s also known as a big drinking day. According to statistics, approximately 153% more spirits and 174% more beer is sold on St. Patty’s Day compared to other major holidays.

The amount of alcohol consumption on this holiday is the main factor in an increase in DUIs and car accidents. A Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) done by Berkeley revealed a 10% increase in car accidents on March 17th compared to the previous day’s accidents. In 2018, the system showed an almost 100% increase in St. Patrick’s Day collisions compared to March 16th.

The system also showed an almost 10% increase in the amount of DUIs as compared to the previous day’s numbers. It’s important to note: a large percentage of DUI-related collisions were shown to have happened between 12 am – 6 pm on March 18th – the morning after St. Patrick’s Day.

The day of the week the holiday falls on does seem to affect the number of traffic collisions reported. If the holiday falls on a weekday, more people are less likely to travel out and vice versa. However, it does not seem to impact how much people are drinking on St. Patrick’s Day. On average, an individual consumes 4 alcoholic beverages on March 17th no matter what day of the week it is.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) more than 27 people tragically die in drunk-driving accidents every day in the U.S. Sadly, every one of those accidents is preventable. California is the second-most dangerous state in the United States to drive in, and Los Angeles is the most dangerous city to drive in on St. Patty’s day.

If you were injured in a crash involving a drunk driver, don’t wait to speak to a compassionate car accident lawyer at Adamson Ahdoot LLP. You don’t deserve to suffer, and we can help you get compensation for expenses related to your injury.

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