As Holiday Gets Larger, Cinco de Mayo Celebrators Should be Cautious

Cinco de Mayo has become a grand celebration in the US in recent years. From parties at home to hours spent at restaurants, more and more Americans are celebrating Mexican heritage and the fight for democracy.

However, because Cinco de Mayo is becoming a popular holiday, that means more people drink to excess as part of the celebration. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 2007 and 2011, 38% of all motor vehicle fatalities that occurred on Cinco de Mayo involved drunk driving, which is defined as the driver having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or above. Nearly 80% of those accidents involved drivers with a BAC of .15 or above. A press release from the “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving” campaign noted that between 2008 and 2012, 233 people were killed in drunk driving crashes on Cinco de Mayo. That means that every 51 minutes during Cinco de Mayo in 2012, someone was killed in a drunk driving crash.

If you plan to attend a Cinco de Mayo celebration that involves alcohol, it is important to plan ahead. The Strom Law Firm offers some safety tips to avoid drunk driving.

1. If you plan to drink during a Cinco de Mayo party, find a designated driver ahead of time, or plan to take a cab home from the festivities. Use public transportation if that is available in your area.
2. If you do not want to drink during the evening, then offer to be the designated driver for party-goers.
3. Keep an eye on friends or family if they look like they have imbibed too much, and take their keys if they look like they might be a danger to themselves.
4. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local police immediately (but please, pull over and stop your car before using your cell phone!)

Many people say that they are okay to drive if they have only had a little bit of alcohol, but a study published last year showed that impairment from alcohol can occur after even one drink. The NTSB reported that 0.05, although a much lower BAC percentage is the threshold at which a person became impaired by alcohol. At 0.05 percent BAC, a person begins to have difficulties with depth perception and visual functions. At 0.07, cognitive abilities are impaired. At 0.08% BAC, the risk of having an accident while driving increases more than 100%.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with DUI Car Accident Injury and Wrongful Death Cases

Although many of the people we represent in these cases are from right here in South Carolina, our lawyers routinely take clients from throughout the Southeastern U.S. and, in certain types of product liability or pharmaceutical cases, from across the country as well. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed through no fault of your own, whether from a defective product or in a DUI car accident, you may have a wrongful death case. Contact the South Carolina wrongful death attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free, no-cost consultation today. 803.252.4800