When you and your loved ones gathered for the holidays, you may have taken time to look back over the past year and judge it as either one you are happy to leave behind or one you will long remember. Holidays often bring out the sentimental part of us, and in the warmth of flickering lights, close friends and festive moments, you may have a hard time remembering the bad times of the past year.

Unfortunately, if you are one of the many in Wisconsin whose holidays were marred by the tragedy of a motor vehicle accident, the days of wistful reminiscing may be gone forever. While you were enjoying a gentle holiday, others were overindulging. Their reckless choices left you struggling with injury or loss.

No excuses

For many, the season of celebration stretches from Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, through the New Year and even as far as the big football championship game. However, studies show that the most common cause of traffic deaths in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is drunk driving. While highway death tolls in most categories have recently declined, holiday fatalities related to alcohol consumption continue to rise.

This year may have been especially difficult because the major holidays, Christmas and New Year’s, fell on Tuesdays. You may have been among the many who took advantage of this by making a long weekend of it. However, you probably agree that there is no excuse for drunk driving with the many alternatives available, including:

• Taking a taxi
• Using public transportation, which often extend hours during holidays
• Designating sober drivers
• Staying put
• Planning ahead by reserving a room nearby
• Ridesharing, such as Uber, Lyft and others

Many of these options even offer discounts over the holidays to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

You do not have to do this alone

Despite the many safety agencies and public service organizations looking out for the well-being of partiers during the holidays, if you encountered a drunk driver, it likely did not end well. You may have a long recovery from your injuries, or you may have suffered the ultimate loss if a loved one died in the accident. Remember, there are resources available to you to get the compensation you need.