Did you know that the season between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day is what the National Association of Drug Court Professionals describes as, “one of the deadliest and most dangerous times on America’s roadways due to an increase in impaired driving?”
Since 1981, every president has proclaimed December as National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month or, more recently, National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Alcohol, illicit drugs, and over-the-counter and prescription medications can impair a driver’s judgment, decrease motor coordination, and slow the reaction time necessary to safely operate a motor vehicle. Alcohol-impaired driving has led to over 10,000 deaths each year.
In Maryland, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher are considered alcohol-impaired by law. To prevent the consequences of drunk driving, Mothers Against Drunk Driving offers a few tips:
- If your plans involve alcohol, plan ahead for a safe way home. Even one too many drinks increase the risk of a crash. Designate a sober driver or arrange another safe way home.
- If you’ve been drinking or are dependent for a ride from someone who has been drinking, use a taxi instead, or call a sober friend or family member.
- If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Your actions may save someone’s life.
- Always buckle up, drive with caution, and don’t hesitate to call 911 to report a suspected drunk driver. Just because you made the right decision to drive sober, others on the road may not have.
While driving under the influence of alcohol tends to get the bulk of attention, driving under the influence of illegal drugs or prescription medications, including marijuana, is becoming an ever more relevant problem. In 2015, the most recent year data was available, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported drugs were present in 43 percent of the fatally injured drivers with a known test result nationwide.
But whether its alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medications, the warnings are the same – driving while impaired endangers not just a driver, but all of us. Take the time this holiday season to encourage friends and family to drive responsibly. And, set the example for your friends and your children, by not driving while under the influence.
Parents are a powerful source of positive and reliable information. In fact, research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50 percent less likely to use these substances than those who don’t have such conversations.
The longer children can delay drinking and drug use, the less likely they are to develop problems. Parents can make a difference – that’s why it is so important to help your child connect the dots and make smart decisions.
For more information on preventing the use of alcohol and other drugs, visit www.KentCountyPrevention.org or contact Annette Duckery, Alcohol and Other Drugs Prevention Coordinator for KCBH, at 410-778-7918.
The Kent County Behavioral Health Prevention Office helps community groups, agencies and individuals in providing programs and activities to prevent alcohol and other drug abuse, and to build a healthier community.
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