When the eggnog and champagne start flowing on Christmas and New Year’s things can go from fun to dangerous pretty fast. That’s why its important to be careful while having holiday fun.
“Fireworks and celebratory gunfire may seem harmless, but they put lives at risk,” warned the Dallas Police Department this Christmas. “They also generate a high volume of 9-1-1 calls, which can delay our officers from responding to life-threatening emergencies. Please help us keep our community safe.”
For example, Audacy reported that 15,000 people ended up in emergency rooms due to fireworks last July 4.
Holiday dangers also include more than just fireworks, according to the National Safety Council. It estimated that 431 people may die on U.S. roads this Christmas Day holiday period (from 6 p.m. on Dec. 24 through midnight on Dec. 28) this year.
As for the New Year’s Day holiday period (from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 through midnight on Jan. 4), the National Safety Council said that an estimated 429 people may die on U.S. roads This is “slightly above the six-year average of 423 fatalities experienced over New Year’s Day holidays of the same length,” it said.
“Holidays traditionally are a time of travel for families across the United States. Many choose car travel, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of motorized transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile,” the council explained. “Holidays are also often cause for celebrations involving alcohol consumption, a major contributing factor to motor-vehicle crashes.”
According to AAA, an estimated 122.4 million Americans are traveling at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period (Dec. 20 through Jan. 1). If that estimate bears out, it will be a new record. Of those Americans, AAA estimated that 109.5 million would travel by car for their year-end trips, an increase of 2% compared to last year.
“With a record number of car travelers, AAA urges drivers to prioritize safety,” it said. “December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month which serves as a timely reminder to make safe choices and stay vigilant. AAA and [Mothers Against Drunk Driving] encourage travelers to plan safe rides home this holiday season during one of the most dangerous times of year on the road.”