New Year’s Eve celebrations and New Year’s Day football parties often involve gatherings at restaurants, other public places or at home with friends. Alcohol frequently is involved, and this time of year sees a rise in drunk driving related accidents and injuries.

Here are some facts about the dangers of drunk driving:

A single serving, whether it is a 12-ounce beer or a five-ounce glass of wine, contains approximately the same amount of alcohol.
The body of an average adult can process one serving of alcohol in approximately an hour. Factors which increase or decrease the body’s ability to process alcohol include weight, sex, age and body composition. Alcohol consumption can affect the body for hours, resulting in impaired thought processes and reaction times. There is no question that alcohol consumption leads to impaired judgment and reflexes. This is a deadly combination when behind the wheel of a car or truck.

Missouri has a Zero Tolerance Law for those under 21. If you are a minor and you’re caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your system, your license may be suspended.

Your license can be suspended for 90 days on your first alcohol related conviction. You could be fined up to $500 and spend up to 6 months in jail.

A second alcohol related conviction can result in a one year revocation of your license. You could be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to one year in jail.

Any person guilty of a second or subsequent intoxication-related traffic offense may be required to install an ignition interlock device on their car before reinstating driving privileges.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day remain the most dangerous time to be on Missouri roads. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that “Compared to the average weekend night, the 12-hour window between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 tends to have about 71 percent more crashes where alcohol or drugs are listed as a contributing factor — about 42 accidents on average — according to a Post-Dispatch analysis of the past 10 years of Missouri Highway Patrol crash data”. The statistics do not reflect the true consequences of drinking and driving such as a child’s loss of a parent or the life changing injuries suffered by passengers or other or other drivers.

We each have an obligation to protect ourselves and others by keeping drunk drivers off the road. Some ways in which you can help include, reporting suspicious drivers, calling a cab for someone who appears to be impaired, or simply staying off of the roads.

Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC wishes you a safe and enjoyable New Year. If you or a loved one is involved in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact us.