PORTLAND, Maine — Experts for driver safety are warning consumers that the Thanksgiving weekend and ensuing holiday season are a high-risk time for drunk driving collisions.
AAA warns that 37 people in the U.S. die in drunk driving collisions every day, equaling around 13,000 people every year.
"We do see an increase in crashes this holiday season," Baran said. "What can happen is it creates a slower reaction time, it can create just not knowing when to anticipate things."
Baran said that you should always have a designated driver or plan to use a rideshare app.
He added the same rules apply for when you have holiday parties at someone's house.
But for the bars in Portland, a hot drinking spot for tourists and families, bartenders are preparing for the wave of travelers.
"This is a big weekend," James Casey said, who is the General Manager for The Porthole, which is a dockside bar and restaurant off Commercial Street. "I see a lot of families come out normally and they tend to go out to the bars at night."
Casey said The Porthole is a crowded spot during the summer and during the holidays, and said his staff has steps to help people who have had too much to drink.
"If someone needs to be shut off, we usually have three or four security guards on staff," Casey said. "Get them home safely, get them some water or something to eat... don't put them in an Uber alone."
Casey said his bartenders are also TIPS certified, meaning they know the best practices on how to deal with someone who has had too much to drink and intervene if they present a danger to themselves or others.