Impaired Driving Prevention Month is a call to action for communities to provide solutions to the potentially deadly hazard of impaired drivers on our roadways.
The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is a dangerous time on our nation’s roadways due to increased incidences of impaired driving. Impaired Driving Prevention Month seeks to educate Americans on the threats our communities face due to driving while impaired by alcohol or other drugs.
About one in three traffic deaths in the United States involve a drunk driver. In 2014, over 1.1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 121 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year. 9,967 lives were lost nationwide in 2014 as a result of impaired driving crashes. Drugs other than alcohol (legal and illegal) are involved in about 16 percent of motor vehicle crashes.
A review of the statistics set forth by the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows that, as of Nov. 27, 2016, the Highway Patrol had investigated 1,301 crashes in Medina County. There were five fatal crashes, 60 injury sustained crashes and 156 arrests for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Of the five fatal crashes, all appear to have been OVI related.
Blood Alcohol Concentration is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the body. Blood alcohol is measured directly through testing blood or indirectly through tests that use breath, urine or saliva. Alcohol consumption affects individuals differently, but certain generalizations provide a good rule of thumb. The chances for becoming involved in a crash begin to rise at .04–.05 percent BAC and increases rapidly thereafter. By the time a driver reaches .06 percent BAC, the motorist is twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as a non-drinking driver. And at levels of .08 percent, a driver is three times more likely than a non-drinking driver to be involved in a fatal crash.
The holiday season can be one of the most difficult times of the year for people who struggle with substance abuse. There are many strategies for enjoying the holidays while maintaining your sobriety. Prioritizing self-care, seeking support from others, and finding healthy ways to celebrate are key. Here are a few suggestions to having a happy, sober holiday season:
Make time for yourself. Remember to slow down. Take some quiet time each day and work on an attitude of gratitude. Plan relaxation or meditation into your day, even for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are. Relax your standards and reduce overwhelming demands and responsibilities.
Enhance your support system. Holidays are a good time to reach out to family, friends and those people in your life who help you become a better version of yourself. If you’re in recovery, spend time with fellow recovering people.
Learn to say “no” in a way that is comfortable for you.
Find new ways to celebrate the holidays. Create new memories and traditions that will help you redefine the holiday season as a positive experience. Avoid isolation and spend time with people who are not substance users. Don’t expose yourself to unnecessary temptations, such as gatherings where alcohol is the center of entertainment. If there are people who have a negative influence on you, avoid them.
Release your resentments. The Big Book of “Alcoholics Anonymous” refers to resentment as the most common factor in failed sobriety. Start seeing the humor in those things that annoy you and remember that the holidays are a season of giving and good cheer.
Whether you are in recovery or not, the holidays can be a time of emotional highs and lows for everyone. Developing a plan to beat the holiday blues can ensure we make safer, healthier choices for everyone.
Your best defense against an impaired driver is to buckle up every time. Seat belts reduce serious injuries and deaths from crashes by about 50 percent.
Best wishes for a safe and fulfilling holiday season.