DES MOINES, Iowa – Dec. 2, 2013 — The holidays are a time for celebration, visiting with loved ones, and reflecting on the year past and the year ahead. Yet all too often, the holiday spirit is destroyed by the recklessness of a drunk driver.
That’s why the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is joining with highway safety partners and law enforcement organizations across the country this December to remind everyone that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and that drinking and driving don’t mix.
“While everyone knows that driving impaired seriously jeopardizes your safety and the safety of others on the road around you, we still see far too many lives lost each December,” said Patrick Hoye, Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau Chief.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 760 people died as a result of drunk driving-related crashes during December 2011.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau encourages everyone to take steps to ensure their holiday celebrations don’t end in tragedy.
Please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:
· Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
· If you will be drinking, plan ahead and designate a sober driver before the party begins.
· If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, a sober friend or family member or use public transportation.
· Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel.
· If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement.
The holidays should be a time of happiness, not tragedy. “Help us make Iowa roadways safer by never driving after drinking. Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”
