Drunk and drug-impaired driving is illegal in all 50 states and across Canada. Unfortunately, instances of driving under the influence of a substance seem to increase during the holiday season. According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 29.8 percent of all fatal car accidents between 2018 and 2022 (the most recent for data) involved a drunk driver. Fatal crashes involving drunk driving are about 27 percent more common during holiday periods than other times of the year.

Nighttime driving during the month of December tends to be particularly dangerous. Almost half of drivers involved in fatal crashes between the hours of midnight and 2:59 a.m. were intoxicated, according to data from December 2023. Thirty percent of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. were intoxicated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, reminds people that impaired driving is deadly.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different - Drive High Get a DUI are NHTSA campaigns instituted during the holiday season that are followed up with increased enforcement by police.

Holiday celebrants should always plan for a sober ride home from parties or holiday dinners if they plan to drink or consume other substances that can cause impairment.