Drinksgiving: ‘Blackout Wednesday’ Dangerous for Drivers

The day before Thanksgiving is known in some circles as Blackout Wednesday, Black Wednesday or Drinksgiving. It’s become one of the busiest nights for bars across the United States, including the Borderland.

Felipe Ybarra is the owner of the Brass Monkey bar in El Paso.

“It’s crazy. It usually gets crazy, everybody is in town joining up with family and friends,” Ybarra said.

Laura Apodaca is in El Paso to celebrate Thanksgiving, but she earmarked the night before to hit the town.

“I am actually here all the way from Houston. This will be one of the only nights that I will be going out while I am in town,” Apodaca said.

She headed out with a plan to get home safe.

“By calling an Uber. There is no way I am going to drive, and it’s going to be packed everywhere I go. I am not about to deal with all that traffic and the construction here is a mess. So the best way for me to get home on the busiest day of the holiday is by Ubering,” Apodaca said.

But not all drivers are as safe as Apodaca.

Vanessa Luna-Marquez is with the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD.

“Drinking and driving during the holidays increases, there is a surge of drunk driving that does happen,” Luna-Marquez said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year. And with more people on the road, the risk of being involved in a serious or deadly car crash increases.

n 2012, the NHTSA reported 416 motorists died in traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. According to the agency’s data, 60 percent of those killed were not wearing their seat belts and 42 percent were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver who had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Frank Ricci owns the Rockin’ Cigar Bar and Grill in El Paso’s Cincinnati Entertainment District. He expects a huge turnout on Black Wednesday and shared how he gets home safe.

“I personally have a breath alcohol tester for myself and I don’t drive over the legal limit. So, if I am over the legal limit like I was on election night, I obviously get an Uber,” Ricci said.

MADD suggests that people think about how they are going to get home before leaving the house.

“Have a plan of action before you do celebrate. Have a sober non-drinking driver. Utilize different programs like Uber, call a taxi or even stay over at a friend’s house,” Luna-Marquez said.

Jonathan Frederick came to the Brass Monkey to hang out with his friends before celebrating with his family on Thanksgiving.

“It just gets me excited to be here with all the friends and family that come into town. I like to see all my friends out tonight before Thanksgiving,” Frederick said.

But he wants to make sure he makes it to Thanksgiving, so no one in his group will be getting behind the wheel of a car.

“I just like to take an Uber tonight to make sure we are all safe out on the streets,” Frederick said.