The Fourth of July should be a fun and exciting holiday with friends and family. Barbecuing, fireworks, and sparklers are the usual activities that are associated with the Fourth, as well as drinking. Independence Day has the reputation of being one of the deadliest holidays during the year due to the surge of drunk drivers.
Jupiter’s Town Council has decided to fund $3,000 worth of Uber rides this holiday weekend to combat this statistic. This new project comes into effect because of the rise of DUI’s in Jupiter surrounding the week of the Fourth in past years. The Uber discount code: J4JUP2019 will cover one ride per user up to $15 and will be offered from 5:00 PM on July 3rd – July 6th at 2:00 AM.
ABOUT DRINKING AND DRIVING
It is never okay to drink and drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 10,000 people are killed each year in auto accidents because of drunk drivers. The nationwide legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) to drive is 0.08 for people over the age of 21. This is equal to the average of four standard poured drinks. As a reminder, an individual’s BAC largely depends on weight and gender, therefore the above stated average does not apply to everyone and the amount of drinks equal to 0.08 could be less.
Operating a motorized vehicle while inebriated dramatically escalates your chances of crashing. Research shows that your odds of being involved in a deadly car crash increases 380 times when your BAC is 0.15 or higher. If you are caught drunk driving, DUI’s stay on your record for 75 years in the state of Florida. This impact will not only hurt your record, but also your wallet too. On average DUI’s can cost between $5,000 – $25,000; not including insurance premiums which can triple when you are convicted of a DUI.
HOW TO STAY SAFE FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Always have a backup plan to get home when you go out drinking. Whether that be by catching a ride with a sober friend or by using a ride sharing service like Uber. Some people believe that coffee, water, or food can sober you up, but this is not true. The only method that can effectively sober you up is time. We urge you to stay safe this holiday weekend and use the discount code provided by Uber if you are in any way inebriated or unfit to drive. Save your life, as well as others, please don’t drink and drive.