By: Member T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPH
Many Americans are now well into holiday shopping—some may already have finished. Kids have made up their wish lists and excitement is building around what gifts will be arriving. Every year, there seems to be a new trending gift that flies off the shelves. Whether it’s the latest stuffed animal or a remote-controlled toy, the joyous looks on the faces of children who open these gifts are priceless.
One trend that is never joyous, especially around the holidays, that no one wants to be a part of, is the increasing number of impaired driving deaths. This number has been trending upward over the past few years; what’s even sadder is that it could—and should—be zero. Impaired driving fatalities are 100% preventable.
According to NHTSA, over 150 more people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2016 than in 2015 (10,320 to 10,497). That was an increase of 1.7%. And, sadly, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 out of 5 motor vehicle deaths of children involve an alcohol‑impaired driver, most often someone driving the child.
December has been designated National Impaired Driving Prevention Month to draw attention to the problem of drunk and drugged driving and how it can be prevented. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans attend holiday celebrations of all kinds. Many involve alcohol, and often the amount of alcohol individuals consume isn’t monitored. This can lead to impaired driving if plans for a sober ride home aren’t made in advance.
At the NTSB, we have issued specific recommendations that, if implemented, could save you or someone you know from an impaired driver. Policies such as all-offender ignition interlocks, .05 (or below) per se blood alcohol concentration limits, and high-visibility enforcement campaigns can prevent impaired driving.
These policy actions aim for broad acceptance of a personal choice: Drink or drive, but don’t do both. The same goes for drugs, whether illicit or legal. We can simply decide that driving should be separated from drinking (and the use of other drugs). Impairment and driving should never mix. If you’re planning to drink, plan to have a sober ride home. If you’re driving, take that responsibility seriously; be the sober ride for others and don’t drink at all! Also if you’ve driven somewhere and then later decide to drink, use public transportation, call a taxi (or a friend), or use a ride app to get home safely. It’s pretty simple: If you have a phone (and often even if you don’t), you have a ride. We each have the power to eliminate impaired driving if we choose to never get behind the wheel when we are impaired.
If any of this sounds to you like advice from the Grinch, think for a moment about what sober driving would mean, not just for this holiday, but every day. More than 10,000 people die each year because someone drives impaired. Imagine the joy never stolen from family celebrations if all of us made—and kept—plans to have a sober ride home during the holidays. Imagine the pain we could spare families not just during the holidays, but every day. Imagine how many families would remain intact and who wouldn’t have to suffer through the holidays remembering loved ones who were lost at the hands of an impaired driver.
On behalf of the NTSB, please have a safe—and joyful—holiday.
NTSB Safety Compass Blog 