Montpelier, OH – The holiday season is known for being merry and bright, but it is also known for being the deadliest season when it comes to drunk driving.
Unfortunately, every holiday season, lives are lost due to impaired drivers. The holiday season is one of the busiest times on America’s roads.
To keep drivers and their passengers safe, Williams County Safe Communities Coalition is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. Share the message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
“December is a busy time on the roads. We know everyone is rushing around especially this last week before Christmas and then soon after, New Year’s Eve” said Peg Buda, Williams County Safe Communities Coordinator.
“If you plan to head out to festivities, make sure you plan a sober ride home, because driving drunk should never be an option.”
“Even one drink is one drink too many if you’re the driver. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving,” she said.
- According to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2020 one person was killed every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.
- The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2020 was 3.1 times higher at night than during the day.
This is why Safe Communities is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is a matter of life and death. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving. Doing so could change your life, not to mention the lives of your passengers, of pedestrians, or of other drivers and passengers nearby.
If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers.
Stay hydrated with water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Support other designated drivers, too.
It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets.
Take the role of designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.
Williams County Safe Communities recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service, or call a taxi or a sober friend to get home safely.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, Call 911 or contact Local Law Enforcement.
- Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.