From SAFE COMMUNITIES OF WOOD COUNTY
This Fourth of July, commit to only driving when you’re 100-percent sober. If you plan to drink alcohol, plan ahead for a sober driver. Even one or two alcoholic drinks can cause impairment. The goal is to save lives during what is usually one of the deadliest holidays on our roads.
It’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, yet in 2020, one person was killed every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.
- Men are more likely than women to be driving drunk when involved in fatal crashes. In 2020, 22% of males were drunk, compared to 16% of females.
- Nighttime is a particularly dangerous time to be on the 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.
- 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.
- If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time. Imagine trying to explain that to your friends and family or your place of employment.
- Drinking and driving can cause you to lose your driver’s license and your vehicle. This could keep you from getting to work, resulting in lost wages and, potentially, job loss.
Always Plan Ahead
Always remember to make a plan before you start drinking. If you plan to drink, plan ahead for a sober driver to take you home. Before you start celebrating Independence Day, look over these safety tips to keep you, your loved ones, and everyone else safe on the road.
- Plan ahead: If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make the right decision, you might not. Before you have one drink, designate a sober driver who won’t be drinking.
- If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.
- It’s already the law, so make it a personal rule: only drive 100% sober. That means no alcoholic beverages — not even one if you’re driving.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911 or #677
- Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.
Do your part to make this the safest 4th of July in Wood County. .
