Don’t Drive Buzzed This Holiday – 7 Tips to Stay Safe on the Roads

I know we will be hitting the roads on Christmas day and always run into traffic! Last year, approximately 10,500 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. Historically, holiday periods have shown higher incidences of alcohol-impaired driving crashes, so whether you're at a holiday party, a New Year’s Eve bash at a bar or reveling with friends, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council are reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead and designate a sober before you head out for your festivities.

Here are 7 ways to stay safe this holiday:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely
• Use your community’s sober ride program
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement
• Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, take the driver’s keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
• If you’re throwing a party, make sure to offer non-alcoholic drinks for the sober drivers. Check out the Facebook tab with 50 non-alcoholic party drink recipes.
• Need a rid?  Check out the Facebook tab with a list of nationwide alternative ride programs that can help keep your readers safe. 
• Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving website — Sign a pledge not to drink and drive; play “Spot the Difference,” an interactive game that simulates the effects of buzzed driving; and watch a real-life video about how buzzed driving changed one woman’s life.

Don’t ruin the holidays and the end of the year with a DUI — or worse. A new year is coming up -- do your part to lower the number of alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes in 2012! Ring in the New Year safely.  Plan ahead and designate a sober driver before they begin celebrating. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.