|
|
|
Saturday, March 12th 2005-Present
St. Patrick's Day,
Cinco De Maya, Christmas, New Years- they all have a couple of
things in common. They are all holidays, and there is lots of
drinking associated with them- Please be careful out there...
"Irish
eyes smile upon the designated sober driver"
Friends
Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk
During the holidays:
Designate a Sober Driver Before the Parties Begins
- Holidays
have become a big night out for many Americans,
particularly young adults. But it is also a very dangerous
night out due to impaired drivers
- Americans who
drive while impaired during the holidays
make for high-risk evenings on the nation’s roadways.
- An Example: According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 32
percent of all traffic fatalities on the nation’s highways
around St. Patrick’s Day in 2003 were the result of impaired
drivers with blood alcohol content levels of 0.08 percent and
above.
- But much of this
tragedy can be prevented by reminding all drivers of a few
simple precautions.
- Whether you are
just meeting a few friends at the corner pub or attending the
big local parade or party, if you plan on using alcohol to
celebrate:
- Designate your sober driver
before the party begins and give that person your car
keys;
- Don’t starve yourself
before or during the party. Enjoy the food as well as the
drink;
- Avoid drinking too much
alcohol too fast. Pace yourself – eat, take breaks,
alternate with non-alcoholic drinks;
- If impaired, don’t even
think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend
for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to
come and get you, call your local sober rides program, use
mass transit, or stay where you are and sleep it off until
you are sober;
- And remember, Friends
Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Take the keys and
never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are
about to drive while impaired.
- If you are hosting
a Holiday party:
- Serve lots of food --
particularly high-protein dishes – and be sure to include
lots of non-alcoholic beverages, desserts and coffee;
- Be sure all of your guests
designate their drivers in advance, or help arrange
ride-sharing with sober drivers; and
- Keep the numbers for local cab
companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is
thinking of driving while impaired.
Impaired Driving is a
Deadly Problem
- Impaired driving is one of
America’s deadliest problems. Nationally, in 2003, more than
17,000 people died in impaired driving-related highway crashes.
Hundreds of thousands more were injured.
- Every 30 minutes, nearly 50 times
a day, someone in America dies in an impaired driving-related
crash. This means you, your friends, your family are regularly
at risk.
- According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about three in every ten
Americans will be involved in an impaired driving crash at some
point in their lives.
- The rate of alcohol involvement in
a fatal crash is more than three times as high at night than in
other time periods.
- Although national impaired driving
highway fatalities during 2003 declined slightly for the first
time in several years (down three percent from 2002), there is
still much more work to be done.
- Too many people still don’t
understand that alcohol, drugs and driving don’t mix. Impaired
driving is no accident – nor is it a victimless crime.
- Legislators and law enforcement
officials are becoming even more vigilant in combating impaired
driving. 2004 marked the first year that .08% blood alcohol
content (BAC) laws have been enacted in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Impaired Driving
Creates Serious Consequences
- The tragedies and costs from
drinking and driving impaired do not just end at the potential
death, disfigurement, disability and injury caused by impaired
drivers.
- Driving impaired or riding with
someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences
are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or
someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or
an arrest for driving while impaired can be really significant
and not the way you want to celebrate the holidays.
- Violators often face jail time,
the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates,
and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees,
other fines and court costs, car towing and repairs, lost time
at work, etc.
- Plus, there is the added
embarrassment, humiliation, and potential loss and consequence
after informing family, friends, and employers.
- Please remember – Don’t test
your luck during the holidays, or for that matter any other day. Designate your sober driver
in advance – before the festivities begin.
|
|
|
Look for natural
experiences to talk with your kids/teens about drugs and
alcohol. There are scenes from movies and TV that portray
alcohol and or drugs being used- these would make for a
discussion without confrontation.
|
|
