Police, New Year's Eve is most dangerous time for drunk driving crashes
Posted:
Updated:
Dec 31, 2012 01:14 PM
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News & West Monroe Police Department) - The West Monroe Police Department would like to remind everyone that during their New Years Eve celebration to please remember to drink responsibly.
"We want you and your family to "Arrive Alive" at your New Year's festivity, not only for you but as well for the people traveling on the roads around you."
According to the Louisiana State Police last year in Louisiana, there were more than 60 highway fatalities with 66 percent of them involving alcohol. And most of those 40-or-so drivers probably thought they were OK to drive. "The problem is, when you're impaired by drugs or alcohol, one of the effects is that you are really not the best one to judge whether you are impaired or not." said Chief Christopher Elg.
Statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Driving show that New Year's Day, which includes the early morning hours, while New Year's Eve partygoers are still out, is the most dangerous day of the year on U.S. roads. On a national level, during the 2010 New Year's holiday, 57 percent of traffic fatalities involved drinking and driving, as compared with 31 percent during the rest of the year. (Please note the higher percentage in Louisiana than in the nation as a whole.) And 9,878 people died in 2011 in the United States as a result of drunk-driving-related crashes.
Drinking-and-driving accidents are preventable. The best idea is to plan ahead. Ask someone to be the designated driver when you go out to bars or parties. That person agrees to avoid consuming alcohol, so he or she can safely drive everyone else home. "Stay safe, never get behind the wheel of a car when you've been drinking. Never ride as a passenger with an impaired driver even if you just suspect that they are impaired." said Chief Elg.
West Monroe Police Officers will be out looking for drivers who are impaired this New Year's Eve just as they are throughout the rest of the year in an effort to save lives. We would like to remind you that "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" and we would like everyone to have the opportunity to have a safe, happy and enjoyable time as they welcome in 2013.
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