National Drunk and Drugged Driving Month: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

This time of year is full of joy and happiness and sometimes that inhibits people from making the best decisions when it comes to driving, especially when alcohol or drugs are thrown into the mix. In the Binghamton area, dangerous icy road conditions aren’t exactly a surprise and most of us do our best to travel safely in bad weather conditions, so why add the extra risk by driving impaired?

Did you know that each year, on average, more than 10,000 people are killed due to drunk driving? One of the deadliest times to be on the road is the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Since 1981, December has been known as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (NDDPM) also known as National Impaired Driving Month. Every President of the United States since 1981 has been in full support of NDDPM and with good reason. This is the time of year we want to be with the ones we love and we want to share as much time as we can with them, but a car accident caused by an impaired driver can suck all the joy out of the holiday season.

This December if you don’t drive sober, you will be pulled over. There will be a national crackdown on impaired drivers starting Friday, December 12^th through Thursday, January 1^st. If caught driving impaired, you'll receive fines up to $1,000, have your license suspended for six months, and you could possibly land in jail for up to a year. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Having a little fun this holiday season is absolutely fine as long as it is done responsibly, meaning knowing one’s own limits, having a designated driver, and looking after the other people around you. Before partying, do yourself a favor and make sure you have the phone number of a local taxi company saved in your phone, on a piece of paper in your pocket, or even written on your hand.