Richland County, Ohio —The holiday season is right around the corner. As Americans prepare for festivities with family and friends, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind all drivers that it’s dangerous to drive after drinking.
Drivers who have only have a little bit to drink and think they are “okay to drive,” could still be over the legal limit, because ‘Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving’.
Reed Richmond, Health Educator at Richland Public Health and a Richland County Safe Communities Coalition spokesperson, explained the slogan: “A lot of folks think they know their own limits. They think that if they’re just a little ‘buzzed,’ then they’re still good to drive. But time and again, drivers who may have only had a couple of drinks put themselves and others at serious risk. Driving with any alcohol in your system can be dangerous.”
For some people, it doesn’t take much to reach the dangerous level. “We really want all Richland County drivers to understand that you don’t have to be falling-down drunk to be impaired to drive,” Richmond said. That’s why all Richland County law enforcement is working with NHTSA to spread the message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
This anti-drunk-driving campaign aims to inform all Americans about the dangers of driving after drinking—even after drinking moderately.
In 2013, 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving crashes. This time of year is especially dangerous due to holiday celebrations and frequent parties.
In December 2013 alone, there were 733 people killed in crashes involving at least one drunk driver or motorcycle operator. In 2013, 31 percent of all crash fatalities in America involved drunk driving.
So this holiday season, NHTSA urges you to plan ahead: designate a sober driver. If you plan on drinking at all, don’t plan on driving. Don’t assume that you’ll know whether you can safely drive or not at the end of the night.
