Have you ever heard of “Drunksgiving?” Also known as “Blackout Wednesday,” the night before Thanksgiving has become one of America’s biggest unofficial “drinking holidays.”
In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk drivers claim more lives on Blackout Wednesday than they do on New Year’s Eve — which means everybody who has to be out there on the road that night needs to be careful.
Why has this night developed a reputation?
It probably has little to do with anything other than human nature and capitalism. Thanksgiving is when a lot of people return to the “family home,” for a visit, and that may also mean going back to an old neighborhood or hometown. That means people are trying to visit with old friends and distant (but beloved) family members — so they head out to a restaurant or bar to catch up.
Bars and restaurants, for their part, noticed the influx of customers around that time, so they started running special events, offering discounted liquor and even holding parties. In other words, they realized there was money to be made by encouraging people to celebrate — even to excess. (In Nevada, in particular, the problem might be exacerbated because there are no dram shop laws that will hold bars responsible for over-serving.)
What if you’re the victim of a drunk driver?
You’re conscientious and careful, or you wouldn’t be reading this — but what about everybody else on the road? There’s nothing you can do except watch out for erratic behavior from other drivers and try to avoid them.
If you do end up in a crash because a driver couldn’t limit their celebration, you have every right to pursue compensation for your injuries and other losses.
