It's Black Wednesday: The Busiest Bar Night Of The Year
DETROIT (WWJ) – It's the day before Thanksgiving, also known as "Black Wednesday" — the busiest bar night of the year.
In some parts of the metro area, bars report more business on Black Wednesday than on St. Patrick's Day or New Year's Eve.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan travel home and meet up with long-lost friends and family they haven't seen all year. With no school or work the next day, some people really like to let loose.
[Looking for a place to celebrate? Try one of these: Best Bars For Black Wednesday In Detroit]
But with a greater number of people out on the town, comes a greater possibility of people who may get behind the wheel after having one too many. State police encourage everyone to enjoy themselves and if that include drinking, it shouldn't include driving.
"What I recommend everyone to do is if you're going to drink, make sure you designate a driver, somebody who is not going to be drinking, and then that way everyone gets home safely," said State Police Captain Monica Yesh.
Thanksgiving is the second deadliest holiday in Michigan for traffic crashes. In 2015, there were 11 fatalities, five of which were pedestrians, during the holiday period. In 2014 there were six traffic fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the lowest number in more than 30 years.
State police have stepped up their patrols and will be on the lookout for drunk drivers Wednesday night and throughout the holiday break. One statistic from 2014 year found that police nationwide arrested 20 percent more people for drunk driving on Black Wednesday than New Year's Eve.
