If you think you can drink alcohol this holiday season and drive. Think again! “Buzzed driving is drunk driving,” says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign includes high-visibility enforcement that starts today, December 12, and continues through New Year’s Day.
The Drive Sober campaign will focus on the legal consequences of drunk driving and is supported by active law enforcement efforts. The campaign also warns about driving under the influence of drugs – legal or not – with Drive High, Get a DUI.
We asked Officer Jake Folk of the Milbank Police Department if there are options besides a designated driver for getting home in our area? “Unfortunately, I am not aware of any type of ride services available in Milbank right now,” Folk stated. “This time of year is also tough due to the cold temperatures for those that choose to walk home if they live in town. “
He said preparation is key. “We simply hope people are responsible enough to plan ahead and have some type of safe way to get home. Alcohol affects everyone differently. The safe approach that we recommend is to never get behind the wheel if you feel the slightest bit of impairment due to the alcohol you have consumed,” Folk added.
One person is killed, on average, about every 42 minutes in a drunk-driving crash, totaling more than 12,000 lives lost each year
In 2023, 298 drunk-driving-related deaths occurred during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday period.
During the month of December in 2023, 1,038 lives were lost in drunk driving crashes. From 2019-2023 drunk driving crashes killed 4,931 people.
Enjoy the Holidays but Drive Safely!
Staff
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