As we prepare to leave 2019 and enter a new decade of 2020, many are preparing for celebrations. Some of those celebrations include alcoholic beverages. Law enforcement agencies throughout the region will be out in force to watch for impaired drivers. New Year’s Eve ranks high for drunk-driving crashes and fatalities. A recent national study by Cannon and Dunphy S.C. Attorneys show nearly a thousand people died in drunk driving crashes in the U.S. on New Year’s Eve and Day in a five-year period from 2013-2018. Of the 50 states, Kentucky and Tennessee ranked 11 and 12 for the most crashes during the New Year’s holiday. The study shows the five states with the highest crash rates (most dangerous states) were:

Mississippi

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Wyoming

Texas

The five states with the lowest crash rates (safest states) were:

North Dakota

Delaware

Rhode Island

Minnesota

Vermont

Local law enforcement suggests that if you plan to drink, have a designated driver. Pay attention to speed limits, stay off your phone, and wear your seat belt.