Fourth of July Safety Reminder–Drive Sober

By The Cagle Law Firm | July 3, 2025 | Boating Accidents, Car Accidents, Drunk Driving, Featured, News

Avoiding Motor Vehicle Collisions Over the Holiday Weekend- Plan Ahead

No one wants to be in a car accident-ever.  We all love to celebrate the Fourth of July and with a smidgen of planning, your weekend can be safer.   Historically, the Fourth of July is one of the most deadly holidays involving roadway fatalities. The combination of increased traffic and more alcohol-impaired drivers make the summer weekend one of the most deadly across the U.S.  There are quite a few simple things you can do to increase the safety of your holiday weekend according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Security Council (NSC). These suggestions are the same common -sense recommendations that have been made for years and we know they work when people actually plan for their party.

• Designate a sober driver.  Plan ahead–make sure that you have a safe ride home from your celebration.  The designated driver needs to be someone who is SOBER.  Remember, the “least drunk” in the group does not mean “sober”.  Few things bring down a celebratory vibe like a DUI or worse, a car crash.
• Utilize ridesharing and public transportation.  According to National Bureau of Economic Research, rideshare services have demonstrably reduced drunk driving incidents. Studies suggest that a 6.1% decrease in fatal DUI accidents due to rideshare.  Some cities have studied this influence since 2009 and found some cities have seen a 14 percent decrease in drunk driving arrests. Sacramento and San Jose, CA both saw bigger impacts of 26-28 percent decreases respectively.  It is worth the expense of using a rideshare.
• Host responsibly.  If you are hosting a celebration, make sure your guests have safe transportation.  It sometimes is not fun to tell a friend they are too drunk to drive–however, having your friend alive the rest of the year outweighs some muttered bickering.
• Wear seatbelts.  Seatbelts save lives all year long.  Becoming a habitual seatbelt user is a good thing.
• Avoid driving under the influence.  If you are impaired due to alcohol or other substances, don’t drive.
• Be extra cautious: Pay close attention to the road and other drivers, especially during high traffic periods and at night.  We all know there are always some drunk drivers on the roadway this weekend.  Slow down and look out for impaired drivers.

Drunk Driving Fatal Crashes, Completely Avoidable

Serious injury motor vehicle accidents and fatal crashes involving an impaired driver are completely avoidable which makes them tragic. As personal injury lawyers, we see the devastation of lives due to a reckless decision to drive impaired.  While an injured party can often bring an injury case (which takes years), they often cannot fully recover from life-changing injuries.  Of all of our clients who have obtained large verdicts or settlements, we can not name a single one of them that would not trade the millions of dollars for their health and life prior to the crash—not one.  When someone is injured due to the negligence of someone else in a car accident, their lives are forever changed.  We are all clear on the problem–we do not make good decisions while impaired.  Everyone who has ever been impaired knows this to be a fact.

The decision to climb behind the wheel after you have have been drinking is the definition of reckless negligence.  Negligence  means, “failure to use reasonable care, resulting in the damage or injury to another”.  We all know the effects of impaired driving so choosing to drive under the influence is more than just negligence, it can be reckless negligence which is a “conscious disregard for a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm, demonstrating indifference to the safety of others”

It is one thing to make poor decisions and endanger yourself.  It is quite another to have reckless disregard for others.  When reckless disregard for others such as drunk driving results in a DUI car accident injury to others, there is often a hefty price whether it results in criminal charges, jail time, fines and lawsuits.  Impaired driving hurts everyone involved including the impaired driver.

Impaired Driving Extends to the Waterways

Many love to travel to our lakes and rivers for the Fourth of July weekend due to the heat.  Boating and riding personal watercraft is an incredibly fun thing to do!  However, there is a lot more traffic on the lakes and rivers in Missouri and Illinois over the holiday weekend and in many instances, alcohol is involved. Some may think it is not as big of a deal to drive a boat while impaired.  Statistics and real life experience demonstrate that driving a boat or personal watercraft while impaired can easily cause injury and death.

Everyone should be forewarned, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will be conducting sobriety checkpoints on the roadway and on the waterways.  “Operation Dry Water” targets impaired vessel operators. The 2024 Fourth of July holiday resulted in 14 fatalities and 560 injuries in Missouri from 1,366 crashes.  All available troopers will be working this weekend.

Consequences of the Fourth of July Weekend

We all want the consequences of the Fourth of July weekend to be good times with friends and family.  Outrageous fun does not require lack of safety or illegal actions.  On the other hand, a DUI can get extremely expensive, result in loss of license and driving privileges which is really inconvenient for your work life and social life.  The worst consequence is serious injury or death.  When the consequences are life-changing injuries, it changes the way you will celebrate any other holidays in the future.  When a family member or friend is lost due to impaired activities, the entire point of the holiday celebration is over.

Make a plan for your celebration that involves sober transportation. If you are truly celebrating and friends and family, then take care of those special people in your life.  Simply, look out for one another so that you can celebrate Labor Day Weekend this year!

Legal Assistance Over the Holiday Weekend

If you get in a DUI jam, you will have problems.  Our firm does not do criminal or insurance defense work.  We represent those that have been injured in motor vehicle crashes including motorcycle crashes.  If you are injured in a motor vehicle crash whether it involves a motorcycle, boat, personal water craft, semi or pick-up truck, you will need legal assistance.  We can help those that are seriously injured and we can help family of those who lose a loved one.  In the hours and days after an injury crash, the injured and their families have almost unlimited questions and are never exactly sure of what steps to take.

We hope that you do not need our assistance. Statistically, we know that there will be injury collisions this weekend and we are available to provide direction and lay out “next steps” in protecting your rights and guiding you through the maze that is physical and financial recovery.

Our attorneys are available seven days a week to answer questions for individuals finding themselves involved in a motor vehicle crash.

Call us toll free 1.800.685.3302 or locally 314.276.1681

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