From SAFE COMMUNITIES OF WOOD COUNTY
Safe Communities of Wood County announced today (Friday, Dec. 1) that there have been 14 fatal crashes in Wood County, compared to 11 last year at this time. This is an increase that is completely preventable.
Safe Communities of Wood County and law enforcement are teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind all drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving and to always plan a sober ride home before holiday parties begin.
The holidays are a special time in America, full of excitement and endless festivities. Oftentimes, these celebrations bring higher numbers of drunk drivers to the roads, endangering those drivers and others. Drunk driving can have deadly, devastating consequences.
Nationally in 2016, 37,461 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 28 percent (10,497) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08. In fact, from 2012-2016, 14,472 people lost their lives in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the month of December, and 28 percent (3,995) died in a crash that involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher.
Remember these tips to avoid a OVI and to keep our roads safe:
Remember that it is never okay to drive drunk. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
Even one drink can impair judgment and reaction time and increase the risk of getting arrested for
driving drunk or causing a crash.
If planning to drink, do not plan to drive. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
If you have been drinking, do not drive—even a short distance. Call a taxi, a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. Try NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or a friend and identify their location so they can be picked up.
Help others be responsible. If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a safe ride home.
If you see a driver on the road that appears to be intoxicated, contact police when it is safe to do so. Your actions could help save a life.
Keep your holidays happy and safe by letting someone sober do the driving. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
