DECEMBER, NATIONAL DRUNK & DRUGGED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH

December has been designated National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Click here to read the proclamation from President Barack Obama.

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month(3D Month), which is supported by public- and private-sector organizations devoted to preventing impaired-driving crashes. Traffic violations during this month are particularly common too. This is a large part of why Va traffic lawyers will be expecting a busy month. During 2003, alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes accounted for nearly 40% of all traffic fatalities in the United States. Alcohol-related fatalities are those with any alcohol detected in blood specimens of drivers. During 1994–2003, the rate of fatalities in alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes decreased 12%, from 6.7 to 5.9 per 100,000 population. A national health objective for 2010 is to reduce alcohol-related traffic fatalities to

To achieve the national health objective, communities need comprehensive and effective strategies to prevent alcohol-impaired driving. CDC has determined that carefully planned and well-executed mass media campaigns that attain sufficient audience exposure and are implemented in conjunction with other ongoing prevention activities are effective in reducing alcohol-impaired driving. If you are charged with a DUI, you could consider getting in touch with someone like these nyc criminal lawyers to help you with your case and move on with your life.

Six other interventions determined to be effective include:

1. sobriety checkpoints,
2. 0.08g/dL blood alcohol concentration laws,
3. minimum legal drinking age laws,
4. zero-tolerance laws for young or inexperienced drivers,
5. school-based approaches to reduce riding with drinking drivers, and
6. some types of server-intervention training programs.

Comprehensive approaches that implement several interventions simultaneously will further reduce alcohol-impaired driving.

The 3D Month program planner, which contains sample public service announcements, media tool kits, and program guidance for conducting 3D Month activities, is available at http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org.

MADD has these tips to help ensure everyone’s safety this holiday season:

• Designate a sober driver before celebrations begin.
• Never serve those under the age of 21 alcohol.
• Plan safe parties, including providing non-alcoholic drink options to guests and not serving alcohol the last hour of the gathering.
• Be prepared to get everyone home safe in case your plans or individual circumstances change.
• Tie One On for Safety

Show your support for law enforcement and for MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. Tie a red ribbon on your antenna or affix your window decal as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year.

Red ribbons and red ribbon window decals are available by contacting your local MADD affiliate.

Give the Gift of a Designated Driver

During this time of year when drunk driving crashes are most prevalent, MADD aims to deter individuals from driving drunk and encourage them to plan ahead and designate a sober driver, or arrange another safe ride home, before embarking on their holiday festivities. MADD’s Give the Gift of a Designated Driver campaign is designed to encourage people to volunteer to be a designated sober driver for their friends and family during the holiday season.

Click here to download a coupon that says “Tonight, I’ll be DD.”