CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – The Thanksgiving Holiday weekend has officially begun and the night before the day of giving is known as ‘Drinksgiving,’ which has a reputation for strong alcohol consumption and binge drinking.
According to AAA, unusually heavy traffic, as well as the consequences of holiday revelry and bar crawls, are the primary causes of the spike in drunk driving crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
“Think about someone else’s life. When you decide to take a drink or try to drive after drinking or need one, think about the person you could hurt because you all will hurt somebody eventually, sooner or later,” said Chesterfield resident Randy Dalton.
Out of the 55 million people expected to travel this holiday, AAA expects around 49 million to be on the roads — which is why state police are reminding drivers to wear their seatbelt and drive safely.
This morning Virginia State Police began Operation C.A.R.E — The Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort. The initiative brings an increase of troopers on the roads in an effort to prevent and catch impaired and reckless drivers.
“People don’t realize the hurt that they cause until you take someone’s life and, young people just think they’re invincible and that they can’t be hurt and affect them but then it’s too late,” said Glenn Clark of Chesterfield County.
Clark used to work in law enforcement and tells 8News those few seconds of delayed response when a drunk driver is behind the wheel can be deadly.
“Drinking definitely affects reaction time,” he said. “That is so important when you’re driving.”
Last year, the Commonwealth saw 125 alcohol related crashes during the holiday weekend with 77 injuries and seven fatalities.
AAA is reminding drivers of steps to take during the holiday weekend and after to prevent tragedies:
- Remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving. Don’t risk it
- Never let friends or family drive if they are impaired
- Always buckle up. It offers your best chance of survival in a fatal crash
- If you suspect that another motorist is impaired, contact law enforcement
- Designate a safe and sober driver or download a ride-share app before the celebrating begins
- If you don’t have a designated driver, plan to call a cab or a ride-share service or use public transportation
- If you’re hosting a holiday party, offer festive non-alcoholic drink options for your guests and those serving as designated drivers
- Get sober before getting behind the wheel. Only TIME works―not coffee nor cold showers. It takes about 1 hour to burn off an average drink. Five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1½ ounces of liquor all contain about the same amount of alcohol
“Don’t risk it, no, it’s not worth it,” said Clark.
