Fat Tuesday: Mardi Gras Ranked Deadliest Holiday for Louisiana Due to Alcohol-Involved Crashes

Fat Tuesday, as the holiday implies, is certainly not the best day to start that 2013 diet, but it doesn't necessarily mean giving up on it or gorging till your pants won't zip. Or, maybe it does? But one thing's for certain. If you drink, please don't drive.

As CNN reports, hot spots around the world are taking a bite of something good to enjoy their holiday the right way. Across the U.K., royals and hoi polloi alike flip pancakes in celebration of Shrove Tuesday. The Pennsylvania Dutch fry up fastnachts (a raised doughnut). Those of Polish descent (and apparently, residents of Michigan) polish off plenty of pączki (extra-rich jelly or cream-filled doughnuts).

Enjoyment of the holiday certainly involves some much necessary indulgence in sweet, greasy and fried foods. However, it's important to watch out for overeating and drinking on this particular holiday.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization that helps prevent drunk driving and related social causes, it's estimated that 11,773 people died in alcohol-impaired traffic crashes in 2008.

Worse still, Mardi Gras has been ranked the most dangerous holiday for state motorists. In fact, in 2009, it was ranked the deadliest holiday period in Louisiana, killing 22 people and more than 1,000 were injured in crashes. In 2011 alone,  68 percent of the Mardi Gras holiday deaths occurred in alcohol-involved crashes--well above the annual state average of 48 percent alcohol involvement in fatal crashes, according to Harmon Smith & Vourvoulias, L.L.C.

 And other states participating in similar shenanigans are certainly not without trouble on this overindulgent holiday. Hopefully this time around, everyone's using common sense.