NATIONAL DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Johnson
(410) 219-3947 (Office)
(410) 251-5379 (Cell)
NATIONAL DRUNK AND DRUGGED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH
(December 4, 2020 Salisbury, MD) The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest on the nation’s roadways and also one of the most dangerous, due to the high incidence of alcohol and drug related traffic crashes.
Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk driving crashes – that’s one person every 50 minutes. These deaths have fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, drunk driving crashes still claim more than 10,000 lives per year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drugs are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths while drunk driving accidents account for 31 percent of all motor vehicle accidents.
While the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions will probably reduce the number of holiday parties, the risks associated with driving while impaired are real and can result in tragic consequences. Here are some reminders for driving and celebrating safely this holiday season:
- Designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time.
- Allow at least one hour between drinks. It takes the body one hour to metabolize one drink (one drink is equal to a 12 ounce beer, a 5 ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor).
- Set limits beforehand of the number of drinks to have and stick with it.
- Alternate drinking alcoholic beverages with soda, juice or water, and eat food.
- Don’t mix alcohol with other drugs.
- Don’t ride with someone who is impaired. Use other means of transportation such as a taxi, public transportation, a Transportation Network Company/TNC such as Lyft or Uber or driver who is sober.
For more information about National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month or to get involved in the effort to reduce drunk and drugged driving in Wicomico County, contact [email protected]. Connect with the Wicomico County Health Department on Facebook, Twitter (@WicomicoHealth), and Instagram.
# # # #