Drink, drive, and walk responsibly this holiday season
The holiday season gives us many reasons to raise a glass, but doing so safely and responsibly can keep the season festive. The month of December is notoriously dangerous for all road users, so much so that the month is observed as National Impaired Driving Month among traffic safety advocates. During the holiday season, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminds drivers to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different – Drive High Get a DUI. Read on for more about the origin of National Impaired Driving Month, the impact of impaired walking and driving on Long Island, and how you can walk and drive safely this holiday season.
The Origin of National Impaired Driving Month
Beginning in the 1980s, the observation of National Impaired Driving Month represents a recognition of the dangers of driving under the influence. During the holiday season, especially in December, there is a concurrent spike in alcohol-impaired driving and drug-impaired driving. Holiday festivities invite higher rates of substance use. On May 3, 1980, Cari Lighter was fatally hit by a drunk driver just two days after his fourth DUI arrest. Cari became the face of drunk driving victims according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). MADD was formed in 1980 with their first mission statement released on Cari’s birthday, September 5th:
“To aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid families of such victims and to increase public influence awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving.”
Beginning in 1981 the President of the United States acknowledged the observation and the work being done to end impaired driving. On October 23, 2000, Bill Clinton signed the Federal Law that lowered the legal drunk driving limit to .08% Blood Alcohol Content while surrounded by the members of the MADD board. Active for over 40 years, MADD and other partners across the U.S. have worked to bring awareness to this preventable issue and end impaired driving.
Impaired transportation of any kind is dangerous and unnecessary. Driving a car or motorcycle, riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, and even walking is all made more dangerous when impaired. The Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR) reported on the Traffic Safety Statistical Repository (TSSR) an increase in tickets given to impaired drivers. The same database shows that over the last four years, impaired driving crashes have increased in December.
In 2021, 5,700 impaired driving tickets were issued to Long Islanders. In 2022, that rate of tickets increased to 6,815, and in 2023 the total amount of impaired tickets issued was 7,763. With the increase in impaired tickets also comes the increase in crashes. The Nassau County and Suffolk County Crash Dashboards reported an increase in crashes during December as well. In 2021, Long Island suffered 6,874 crashes, with 3,410 occurring in Nassau and 3,464 occurring in Suffolk. 2022 was no better with a total of 7,426 crashes across the island, Nassau with 3,716 and Suffolk with 3,710 in December. Both the increase in impaired tickets given and the increase in crashes occurring in December, it becomes clear that impaired driving is negatively impacting our communities, especially during the holiday season.
Drive Sober, Get Pulled Over
Impaired driving can cause irreparable damage and is preventable. Here are tips for drivers heading into these colder months:
Plan ahead, acknowledge if you are going to drink or use drugs, and do not drive yourself to the event.
Establish a designated driver or ride share. Have someone either at the party or another location be your sober ride home. If this person is at the event, make sure they do not feel left out for not indulging.
Don’t let someone who is under the influence drive home, you are not only responsible for yourself but those around you as well.
If you are hosting the party with substances available, remind your guests not to drive while impaired and arrange alternative transportation for those who need it.
Walk Safe & Sober, Long Island
Although walking may seem like an alternative to drunk driving, it can be equally as dangerous to walk while under the influence. According to the American Addiction Center, drunk pedestrians are about 4% more likely to be fatally struck in December than drunk drivers. Here are some tips to prevent impaired walking injury or fatality to ensure a happy and safe holiday season:
Take a moment and sober up, if you are planning on walking home after a night of festivities pace yourself and switch to water about an hour before you plan to leave at the least.
See! Walk against the flow of traffic and attempt to make eye contact with drivers as they go past. Stay on sidewalks if applicable and only cross at crosswalks or if you have triple-checked both directions for oncoming traffic.
Be Seen! Wear comfortable and colorful clothing or reflective gear, and dress for the weather, jackets and warm shoes may not be as fashionable but it is much more practical.
Know your route, don’t take new trails home while impaired, and share your route and estimated arrival time with a trusted (preferably sober) friend.
Find more tips for getting home safely after you make the right decision to not drive drunk or high on the NHTSA website here.
Drunk driving and drunk walking harm not only those impaired but those around them as well. Planning ahead, pacing yourself, establishing a sober ride home, and preventing others from driving or walking impaired are ways to prevent the rising injuries and fatalities December has seen in recent years. Drive sober this month every month. Enjoy your festivities safely and happy holidays!
About Walk Safe Long Island (WSLI)
WSLI is a pedestrian and cyclist safety campaign that aims to teach Long Islanders about walking and biking safely through law-based education. WSLI is produced for the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety by the Long Island Health Collaborative, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.
New York State is taking numerous measures to tackle the issue of pedestrian and cyclist safety, all of which culminate in the New York State Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The plan emphasizes making streets safer by implementing the “Three Es—” engineering, enforcement, and education. Walk Safe Long Island is part of the third “E,” education.
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