The Van
Buren County SAFE Coalition urges everyone in Van Buren County to celebrate this Independence Day with
a pledge to keep the region “independent” from drunk driving.
“The
Fourth may be one of the nation’s most popular holidays, but, unfortunately,
it’s also one of the most dangerous in terms of alcohol-related fatalities. Too many people think they can get behind the
wheel because they’ve only had a few drinks and just have a ‘buzz’ on. The truth is you don’t have to be falling
down drunk to be a menace to yourself and everyone around you on the highways. Remember: buzzed
driving is drunk driving.”
Statistics
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underscore the toll
drunk driving takes on the nation. NHTSA
reports that there were 9,878 fatalities involving drunk driving in 2011,
accounting for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic deaths for that
year. That worked out to about one death
every 53 minutes in 2011.
Drunk
driving fatalities spike during holidays like the Fourth of July. During the Independence Day holiday in 2011
(which ran from 6 p.m., July 1 to 5:59 p.m., July 5), 428 people were killed in
motor vehicle crashes and, of these, 161 (38%) died in crashes involving at
least one driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher. A BAC of .08 is the legal intoxication limit
recognized by all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the various territories of the United States.
The 2011
drunk-driving toll during the Fourth of July holiday was no mere statistical
anomaly. NHTSA statistics for
Independence Day fatalities over a five-year period (from 2007 to 2011) show
that 40 percent of drunk driving fatalities involved drivers with BACs of .08
or higher. Even more disturbing, over
the same five-year period, 66 percent of drunk-driving fatalities involved
drivers who had BACs of at least .15 g/dL, almost twice the legal intoxication
limit.
Younger
drivers nationwide during 2011 still weren’t getting the message that drunk
driving is dangerous, according to the NHTSA statistics. During the 2011 July 4th holiday, 52 percent
of young (18- to 34-year old) drivers killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes
were legally drunk (having BACs of .08 or higher).
Nighttime
is particularly dangerous every day of the year, and the July 4th holiday is no
exception. During the July Fourth
holiday period in 2011, the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved
in fatal crashes was almost 4.5 times higher at night than during the day.
Such
statistics tell a tragic tale. Alcohol
not only impairs your ability to drive, it impairs your judgment about whether
you can or should drive. By the time you
get behind the wheel, even if you only have a buzz on, the truth is you’re too
drunk to drive. The best thing to keep
in mind is simply: Buzzed driving is
drunk driving.
The SAFE
Coalition recommends these simple tips for a safe Fourth of July:
·
Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
·
Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
·
If you’re impaired, call a sober friend or family member so you
are sure to get home safely;
·
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to
contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 319-293-3426 or 911;
·
And remember, Buzzed Driving
is Drunk Driving. If you know people who are about to drive or ride while
impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where
they are going safely.
