Sunday, December 13, 2009

Buzzed Driving Campaign

With the holidays literally right around the corner comes parties.  Family parties, friend parties, work parties.  Many will celebrate with appetizers, foods, drinks, and alcohol.  I am a big believer in finding a sober driver and a designated driver if you have been drinking.

We all know that drunk driving is a big no-no.  It's simple.  Do not drink and drive.  Do not drive drunk.

But what about buzzed driving?  How many of us are guilty of driving home from a holiday party buzzed?  Slightly buzzed, really buzzed, just buzzed.  It's all buzzed driving.  And it's illegal.
In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - and during the periods around Christmas and New Year's, this number was particularly high, with 316 people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes. In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998. You can't help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people thought twice before getting behind the wheel. With the holidays approaching, it's important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving. Who knows...it could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed. Help spread this message during the holiday season by posting about the dangers of buzzed driving, sharing a story or experience you might have had with buzzed driving and encouraging readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter @buzzeddriving and Facebook {click here} to get the latest updates and news. You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website (http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/) where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

While at holiday events, it's easy to lose track of a drink here or there - but this can be fatal. This holiday season, keep you and your family safe by spreading this message.

Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

love this post and so true! Tim isn't a big drinker so I have that going for me.. but I also don't tend to drink a lot in general! Glad you wrote this post :-)

Becks said...

Amen sister!! Preach it!!

It makes me so mad that people still will drive buzzed or even drunk. When will they learn? I just heard of a 19 year old (a friend of mines cousin) killed a person because he was driving drunk. It angers me sooo much!!!! It could so easily be our/your family dealing with a tragedy because of some ignorant/stupid action someone took! Don't even get me started....

Grizzly Bear said...

Sometimes we forget about that. I am not a drinker at all. Some of my friends are.. This is a great campaign

Matt5verse6 said...

Great post! Thank you.

I saw your blog on SITS and decided to stop by and say, "hello". I like your blog and will add it to my "follow" list so I can keep up with it. :) I was looking for a post on wine to get a feel for if you prefer white or red...but this one caught my attention. Personally, I prefer reds. Pinot Noir is my absolute favorite...in moderation. I also enjoy the occasional wine tasting at wineries in CA. Anyway, wishing you all the best in 2010!

Kindest regards,
Brook