As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we’d like to take a moment to remind those who will be on the road to drive safely. We encourage you to drive sober, use your seatbelt, and make sure young children are properly restrained in a NHTSA-approved (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) child seat.

BEST THANKSGIVING TRAVEL TIMES

If possible, plan your Thanksgiving travel to avoid peak travel times. Here is a traffic forecast provided by Waze, Google’s GPS social driving route and navigation app.
Tue, Nov 24: Traffic will peak in the late afternoon and evening between 4 PM and 8 PM
Wed, Nov 25: Traffic will start getting heavy at 11 a.m. and last throughout the day
Thu, Nov 26: Thanksgiving day may be your best bet for travel, as it will be relatively quiet before noon, but traffic will increase in the afternoon.
Fri, Nov 27: Traffic similar to an ordinary weekend day
Sat, Nov 28: Small increase in traffic
Sun, Nov 29: Entire day above average, with peak traffic from 1-6 p.m
Mon, Nov 30: Increase in traffic in late morning with many people going to work later than usual
Also keep in mind that, on any given day – whether a holiday or not – midnight to 3 a.m. is the deadliest time on Illinois roadways. More accidents and DUI arrests occur during this timeframe than any other time of day or night.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY DRINKING AND DRIVING

Alcohol in various forms is a common part of Thanksgiving celebrations. If consumed sensibly and in moderation, alcohol consumption should not be a problem, but statistics show a sharp rise in alcohol-related accidents and deaths during the holidays. Law enforcement officials are keenly aware of this, and “holiday crackdowns” on drunk and impaired drivers are a common occurance across the nation. Yet, while one might expect this to be a deterrant, the number of fatal alcohol-related accidents and DUI’s issued by police are still quite high.

COMMON FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR BAC

As a general rule, a male weighing 170 pounds can consume 4 alcoholic drinks before reaching a BAC of .08%, while a female weighing 137 pounds can consume 3 1/2 drinks before reaching a BAC of .08%, as this chart, provided by Cyberdrive Illinois:

Remember, though, you can still be arrested and charged with DUI if you show signs of erratic or impaired driving ability, even if you have a BAC of less than .08%.
There are a number of factors that influence how different people will have a different response to the same amount of alcohol:

• Age
• Gender
• Rate of consumption
• Drink strength
• Body type
• Fat/Muscle content
• Metabolism
• Hydration
• Emotional state
• Medications you are on
• Food you’ve consumed
• Carbonation of drinks
• Alcohol tolerance
• Overall health

Some people can become intoxicated after just one drink, irrespective of what any chart of statistic indicates.  If you’re not sure of your limit, or if you plan to exceed your limit, arrange to stay the night with your hosts, appoint a designated driver to get you home safely, or call a cab.

Tips for Drinking Responsibly During Thanksgiving

If you’re the host of a party serving alcohol, here are a few important rules to follow:

• Never pressure anyone to have a drink.
• Offer a selection of non-alcoholic beverages as well as plenty of food.
• Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.
• Don’t serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest.
• Don’t let anyone who is drunk drive home.

Arrested For DUI?

If, perhaps, you are reading this article after you have been arrested for DUI, then we recommend that you hire a competent DUI lawyer as soon as possible.  We invite you to read the DUI articles on our site in order to determine whether representation by our firm is right for you.

Wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving,

Franks & Rechenberg, P.C.

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