Memorial Day has passed, marking the beginning of summer. Memorial also marks the beginning of the “100 deadliest days of summer”, which run from Memorial Day through the end of Labor Day. In 2013, 38% of the fatalities that occurred over Labor Day weekend in 2013 were caused by intoxicated drivers according to the NHTSA. Another major holiday that has a high number of drunk driving accidents is the 4th of July, which falls within this time frame. Other holidays which result in high numbers of DUIs include Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and St. Patrick’s Day.
ABC 7 reports that 18 people were killed in crashes over Memorial Day weekend and hundreds of DUI arrests were made. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Memorial Day weekend saw more than a dozen people killed in car crashes. In the first six hours of the holiday enforcement period, eight people died. By Sunday afternoon, the agency reported 10 more deaths. More than half of the people killed were not wearing seatbelts, but authorities aren’t releasing further details of the crashes.
On Sunday, the California Highway Patrol did report that more than 740 DUI arrests were made over the weekend. Last Memorial Day Weekend, 43 people were killed in alcohol-related collisions. This number accounted for more than 25% of all injury crashes. The CHP would also like to remind drivers that a DUI doesn’t just include booze. Prescription medications, illicit drugs, and marijuana can all lead to DUI charges if they affect your ability to drive.
