Belmont, NY—As the calendar year winds down, the holiday festivities start up. Make sure you stay off Santa’s “naughty” list: Always choose sober driving, and always plan a safe ride home before you party. To help keep Americans safe on the roads, the Allegany County Traffic Safety Board is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this holiday season to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. With holiday festivities and office parties taking place, it’s essential to plan a sober ride home before ever leaving for the event.
“The holidays are a time of joy and reflection, but also a time to use extra caution on the roads,” said Allegany County Sheriff Rick Whitney. “Unfortunately, alcohol at many holiday events contributes to the number of impaired drivers on our roadways. Help us spread the message: Even one drink is one drink too many. If you feel buzzed, you are already drunk.”
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 in which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit of .08 grams per deciliter. The holidays prove to be extra dangerous to drivers as more people—drivers and pedestrians alike—are out on the roads.
“We want to keep our roads safe this holiday season and help people understand that the only time they should be behind the wheel is when they are sober,” said STOP DWI Coordinator Linda Edwards. “It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, or how much you weigh, alcohol affects everyone differently, and you do not have to be feeling or acting drunk to be too impaired to drive.”
So this holiday season, as you head out for a night of merry-making, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.