The Holiday Season is known for being merry and bright, but they’re also known for being the deadliest season when it comes to drunk driving. Every holiday season, lives are lost due to drunk drivers.
Enforcement period: Dec 14, 2018 - Jan 1, 2019
All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have by law set a threshold making it illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or higher.
Just one drink can impair your judgment and increase your risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, cause a crash if you’re behind the wheel. Many factors determine the effect alcohol has on your body, and it can vary depending on factors such as your weight and when you last ate.
This holiday, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If you plan to go out and enjoy the evening with alcohol, make sure you refrain from driving. Review these facts and share the word about the dangers of drunk driving.
Stay Off Santa’s Naughty List: Don’t Drink and Drive.
According to NHTSA, 37,133 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2017, and 29 percent (10,874) of those fatalities occurred in crashes during which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL).
Drug-impaired driving is an increasing problem on our nation’s roads. It’s illegal to drive while drug-impaired, period. It’s essential for drivers to understand: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.
According to NHTSA, 885 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver during the month of December 2017.
From 2013 to 2017, there were 4,110 people killed in December crashes that involved drivers with BACs over the legal limit of .08.
Drinking and Driving Will Cost You—Possibly Your Life.
On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more.
The financial impact from impaired driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.
Plan a Safe Ride Home Ahead of Time—This Holiday Season, and All Year Round.
Plan ahead. You know whether you’ll attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you.
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 public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
Use our community’s sober ride program.
If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement agency.
Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
Keep your holidays happy and safe by letting someone sober do the driving. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.