Did you know the 4th of July is a dangerous day?

Every summer, people flock to parks and their own backyards to celebrate Independence Day. Unfortunately, while it is a fun day full of celebration, it can also be a day of increased danger.

Specifically, those who wind up driving anywhere on the 4th of July or the day before will have a higher risk of getting into a car crash caused by a drunk driver. They are two of the deadliest days on the road each year. There are several factors that contribute to the increased risk, and they are all good reasons to plan ahead for the 4th of July in order to minimize your time on the road, especially late at night after fireworks displays.

When people have the day off, they try to have a good time

For many workers, the 4th of July is a paid holiday. That means they have an opportunity to hang out with their friends or family members and eschew the responsibilities of their daily work life. Many times, kicking back and relaxing equates to consuming alcohol.

Also, now that marijuana is legal in Colorado, people may enjoy that, too, as part of an attempt to relax and have fun. The combination of the two substances can prove to be far more potent and inebriating than either on its own. Unfortunately, the desire to relax and kick back often means that people overindulge at parties when they don’t have to work.

BBQs and alcohol tend to go together

Not everyone associates alcohol consumption with relaxation. However, even those who weren’t planning to drink to enjoy their day off may wind up drinking socially because they attend a barbecue.

Beers and chilled bottles of other alcoholic beverages are common offerings at these parties. It is easy to drink more than intended in a social setting. People at parties usually don’t want to overstay their welcome either, so that can mean people wind up getting behind the wheel of their cars to head home from a barbecue after a few too many drinks.

Traffic due to evening events complicates things

After your local fireworks show, the roads closest to the most popular seating locations will probably be clogged with vehicles of people trying to leave. Even as traffic thins out, there will be many more people on the road on the evening of the 4th of July then there usually are. More traffic means more potential for crashes, especially because a good number of the people on the road will probably have been drinking at some point during the day.

Regardless of what day of the year it is, it is never appropriate for people to endanger others by getting behind the wheel drunk. If you do wind up hurt because of a drunk driver, you should look into your rights for compensation under Colorado’s personal injury laws.