It’s the most wonderful time of the year! While this is the time to celebrate and reminisce with family and friends, those gatherings also increase the risks of impaired or drunk driving. The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s has significant increases in impaired driving related incidences. The percentage of highway deaths related to alcohol are 41% on Thanksgiving, 36% on Christmas, and a 43% on New Year’s. Another 25,000 people will be injured in traffic accidents caused by impaired driving during the holiday season. We know so much about the dangers of impaired driving, but sadly these numbers are on the rise and December drunk driving fatalities increased 13% between 2016 and 2017. Don’t be a statistic – drive responsibly so you can celebrate with your loved ones again next year.
- If you drink, don’t drive no matter how little you think you’ve had.
- Don’t let someone you know get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking.
- Avoid driving during early and late evening hours on holidays.
- If you must drive, be cautious and watch for the erratic movements of drunken drivers.
- Immediately report suspected drunk drivers to the police.