The holidays provide the perfect opportunity for fun with family and friends. There is nothing better than celebrating the day with festive food and drinks. A holiday weekend is certainly not the time to count the calories and watch the intake.Independence day was no exception. When celebrating America’s birthday and watching the fireworks, it is almost too easy to have one too many servings of hot dogs and hamburgers, and unfortunately, one too many beers. Unfortunately, this means that this summer holiday is not only festive, but it is also the deadliest day of the year when it comes to drivers.
The 4th of July is notorious for DWI charges and car accidents. This year’s holiday was certainly no exception. It was almost impossible to drive to your barbecue without running into a DWI checkpoint.
Despite the checkpoints and increased awareness, many still fell victim to the dangers of drinking and driving. One of the many was Josh Gordon, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver.
Gordon was arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina after being caught driving 50mph in a 35mph zone. According to ESPN, Gordon’s blood alcohol level was found to be .09 – the North Carolina legal limit is .08. He then disclosed his intake of three hard liquor drinks that evening.
While Gordon’s DWI only harmed himself and his criminal record, others are not so lucky. Between 2008 and 2012, 637 people were killed on this holiday, 44% of them being caused by drunk driving.
Hopefully, due to an increase in checkpoints and more awareness, the numbers will have gone down this year. In 2012, alcohol was involved in all three Louisiana traffic casualties.
With Labor Day looming it never hurts to consider ways to celebrate in a safer manner.
Photo Credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/3742023871/”>kevin dooley</a> via <a href=”http://compfight.com”>Compfight</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>cc</a>
