December is National Drug and Drunk Driving (Impaired Driving) Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness of the consequences of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In 2019, over 28 million US residents—11.2 percent of all residents ages 16 and up—drove under the influence of alcohol or illicit substances at least once.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL DRUG AND DRUNK DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH
Since 1981, high officials across America have worked their hardest promoting the importance of staying sober while driving during the month of December, proclaimed National Drug & Drunk Driving Prevention Month or National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, and it all stemmed from one woman and her resolve.
On May 3, 1980, thirteen-year-old Cari Lightner was struck and killed by Clarence Busch in a drunk driving accident. When police arrested Clarence, they found this was not his first occurrence, even down to a hit-and-run drunk driving fine less than a week before his accident with Cari. At the time, driving while intoxicated was a misdemeanor that was barely prosecuted, meaning that Busch was very unlikely to have gone to jail.
This unacceptable fact motivated Cari’s mother, Candy Lightner, to act. The result was the non-profit organization known as MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Candy’s movement quickly grew across the nation. She pushed to a stricter definition of what drunk driving was, having legislators pass stricter laws and prosecutions that included jail time and license suspensions, up to having President Reagan establish 21 as the minimum drinking age and appointing Lightner as part of a commission developed to tackle the issue.
To this day, Candy continues to advocate for anti-drunk, drugged, and distracted driving legislation as president of We Save Lives. “I am not against drinking. I am for responsible drinking. We don’t let people walk around with a loaded gun in our neighborhood. But we let them drive when they drink.”
NATIONAL DRUG AND DRUNK DRIVING FACTS
- In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk, and 10 million Americans drive impaired by illicit drugs.
- A 2010 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that 13.2 percent of all people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year.
- 11.8 percent of people aged 26 and older drove drunk.
- 19.5 percent of people aged 16 to 25 also drove drunk.
- 2.8 percent of people aged 26 and older drove drugged.
- 11.4 percent of people 16 to 25 drove drugged also.
- Traffic fatalities that involve impaired drivers increase significantly during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods.
- In 2018, there were 10,511 traffic fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving, an average of 1 death every 50 minutes.
- Young adults are among those at greatest risk for driving impaired. During December 2010, drivers 21 to 34 years old were alcohol impaired and involved in fatal crashes at a higher percentage than any other age group.
- It was estimated in 2010 that alcohol-involved fatal traffic incidents cause more than $44 billion in economic damage annually.
- All 50 States and the District of Columbia enforce the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years.
WAYS TO PREVENT DRUG AND DRUNK DRIVING
- Never drink before the legal age (21 years old) or participate in illicit substances.
- Always choose a non-drinking designated driver — every time you go out.
- If you go out alone, do not drink alcohol. Order a non-alcoholic beverage such as a soft drink or water.
- Never feel pressured to drink alcohol. If you do plan on drinking, do so responsibly. Eat plenty of food and drink water.
- If you've been drinking, call a taxi or car-sharing service for a ride like Uber or Lyft.
- Never get in a car with a driver who has been drinking.
- If you can safely do so, protect others by taking their keys if they attempt to drive after consuming alcohol. They may be mad at you, but the alternative is much worse.
RESOURCES
https://nationaltoday.com/national-drunk-and-drugged-driving-prevention-month/
https://youth.gov/feature-article/december-national-impaired-driving-prevention-month
https://pttcnetwork.org/centers/central-east-pttc/news/december-national-impaired-driving-prevention-month
https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/auto-and-vehicles/ways-to-prevent-drinking-and-driving
