It’s that time of year, Holiday Season, and with that comes to mind drunk driving so many do drink and drive whether you feel a buzz or not I have seen many adults go out to have a few drinks at a family gathering, get in their vehicle and drive off. As a person who got an underage DWI (or DUI some states call it) I can personally tell you first hand what I learned from getting a DWI with BAC (Blood Alcohol Level) of .05 at age 18, losing my license and going through the course I had to take to get my license back.
I loved drinking and honestly I still do, however, you will not see me getting into a vehicle and driving after drinking. The reason? Quite simply because although when I got my DWI I simply had not “completely yielded” whatever that means, and no one was hurt but I have seen many stories of family’s who were not so lucky. When a drunk driver gets into an accident they are rarely the ones who are hurt, it’s usually another person and anotehr family left to mourn the loss of a loved one.
This holiday season I am happy to share the Buzzed Driving campaign with that was shared to me from Global Influence because keeping those from drinking and driving is something I feel very strongly about!
That Stats
In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in
alcohol-impaired driving crashes – and during the periods around
Christmas and New Year’s, this number was particularly high, with 316
people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes. In 2007, 162,493
women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998.
You can’t help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people
thought twice before getting behind the wheel. With the holidays
approaching, it’s important that drivers be reminded about the dangers
of buzzed driving. Who knows…it could save a life.
How You Can Help
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad
Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to
pledge not to drive buzzed. Help spread this message during the
holiday season by posting about the dangers of buzzed driving, sharing
a story or experience you might have had with buzzed driving and
encouraging readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter and on Facebook to get the latest updates and news. You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.
While at holiday events, it’s easy to lose track of a drink here or
there – but this can be fatal. This holiday season, keep you and
your family safe by spreading this message.
Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that buzzed driving IS
drunk driving.
Make it a Happy Day!
