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(Image: Pixabay.com)

These are American statistics, but since we’re so close to the border and US Thanksgiving and Black Friday are this week, be aware:

Eat, drink and be merry this holiday season, but don’t get behind the wheel after doing so. The Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) has released a report about the drinking behavior of over 450,000 DUI offenders who were monitored constantly for alcohol consumption, and found that drinking violations for the group jumped an average of 33% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, compared to the average violation rate the rest of the year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 3,857 alcohol-related traffic deaths during December between 2009 and 2013. One of the most disturbing trends of the season is a substantial rise in binge drinking and DUIs on Thanksgiving Eve. It’s so bad that some national organizations refer to the day as “Blackout Wednesday” or “Drinksgiving.” To avoid trouble, plan ahead before you know you’ll be drinking, have the contact information for local cab companies handy, and identify a Designated Driver for the evening. Most of all have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. (PR Newswire)