By Melisa Rhodes
The Fourth of July is one of America’s favorite holidays.
And, why not? Families and friends gather to celebrate our country with food, parades, parties, and fireworks.
But there is a very dark side to this great holiday. For many, the celebrations turn from festive to fatal when alcohol-impaired driving crashes occur because someone chose to drive after drinking. In 2013, “Forbes” magazine named the Independence Day holiday “the most dangerous holiday of the year.”
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Watch UR BAC program suggests that if you plan to celebrate with alcohol, you plan a safe ride home. Throughout the region, local police will be out in force this July 4th holiday period, cracking down on drunk driving through increased patrols. Officers remind you to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
Unfortunately, the latest statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation underscore the need for the July 4th crackdown, both statewide and in the Van Zandt County area. In 2014, there were 1,041 fatalities in Texas involving drivers who were legally drunk at the time of the crash (having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher).
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