Buzzed driving is drunk driving

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
MOUNTAIN HOME AFB, Idaho --  The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's is one of the deadliest and most dangerous times of the year due to an increase in impaired driving.

In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, 1,201 people across America, just during the month of December 2005, were killed in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol content level of .01 or higher. In these crashes, 1,033 involved a driver with an illegal BAC level of .08 or above.

That's why Mountain Home Air Force Base's Culture of Responsible Choices, or CoRC, program joins with other national, state and local highway safety officials to remind all holiday partiers that "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" and to never forget to designate a sober driver before the festivities begin.

Impaired driving is no accident - nor is it a victimless crime. In 2005, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 or higher, according to the NHTSA.

Many people may still not understand that alcohol, drugs and driving just don't mix. Too many lives are being lost and we need everyone's help to stop it.

Additionally, far too many people believe that they have to be "falling down drunk" to be too impaired to safely drive. The buzzed driver is one who drinks and drives, but does not consider himself or herself a hazard on the roadway or a drunk driver because "only a few" drinks are consumed.

Designating a sober driver and not letting friends drive drunk are just two of several simple steps for a safer holiday season. Other tips include:

Plan ahead: Whenever consuming alcohol, designate a sober driver before going out and give that person the keys;

If impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get home safely;

Use Airmen Against Drunk Driving, or AADD, by calling 599-3922 or 599-3923 if your original plan falls through.

Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement;

Wearing your seat belt or using protective gear on your motorcycle is your best defense against an impaired driver;

And remember, "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk." If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

Driving any vehicle - including a motorcycle - while impaired is simply wrong and not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for drunk driving are significant.