Holiday Season Can Mean More Impaired Drivers

12/4/2009

The holidays can be an especially dangerous time for motorists because of winter weather and also because of a potentially higher number of impaired drivers on the road.

With that in mind, the federal government has named this December as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month with an eye on reducing related fatalities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 36 people nationwide will die on any given day in a crash involving a drunken driver, while about 700 will be injured. A total of 13,470 people were said to have been killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2006, accounting for about 32 percent of all road fatalities.

The CDC also notes that about 1.4 million people each year are arrested for driving under the influence. However, there are still an estimated 159 million instances of impaired driving annually. With these things in mind, people are strongly encouraged to select a designated driver if they are headed to a holiday party, while hosts are advised to take keys from guests who are impaired.

The consequences can be severe for people caught driving under the influence, with thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees awaiting those lucky enough not to harm themselves or others. Offenders can also expect to see a sharp increase in the cost of their auto insurance for years to come.

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