WASHINGTON (TND) — Thanksgiving Eve is a day when people from across the nation reunite with family and friends in celebration of the upcoming holiday season.
It's known as "Blackout Wednesday" because there is an increase in the overconsumption of alcohol, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
More people are traveling -- and there's also more drinking and driving, NHTSA said.
Buzzed driving is prevalent over Thanksgiving due in part to cultural phenomena like 'Blackout Wednesday' (also known as 'Drinksgiving'), which highlights and even encourages the heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs throughout this holiday weekend," the agency noted online. "Impaired-driving-related crashes spike during the Thanksgiving holiday season."NHTSA said data from 2017 to 2021 shows 137 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve were impaired by alcohol.
To help save lives, police departments throughout the country are partnering with their respective community organizations to offer free rides home.
In Rhode Island, the Warwick Police Department will provide rides from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Plus, the department is offering $20 Uber vouchers on Thanksgiving Eve from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. for riders in Warwick.
As we excitedly prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday season, the threat of impaired driving puts our most cherished moments at risk," police noted on Facebook. "By planning ahead for a safe ride, you're not just protecting the magic of the season, you're also safeguarding lives."Authorities in Illinois are doing something similar, as the Winnebago County Sheriff Office will provide safe rides from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
The sheriff's office also encouraged the public not to drink and drive through it's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" and "Click It or Ticket" campaigns.
"Thanksgiving mean more vehicles on the road -- and an increased risk of crashes," Sheriff Gary Caruana noted in a news release. "No matter how long or short your drive, remember to buckle up and make sure children are in a safe seat. By buckling up and making a plan for a sober ride home, you help everyone have a safe and happy holiday."
NHTSA also shared the following tips:
- Always drive 100% sober. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many.
- Make a plan: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one.
- You have options to get home safely: designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it.
- If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact police.
- If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.
"Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages," NHTSA noted.
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