Holiday hazards
The Holidays are a wonderful time of year. They're full of celebrations and time with family and friends. However, the holiday driving can be hazardous. Drunk driving tends to spike during the holidays here in Utah. With Christmas and New Years coming up soon, and the many holiday parties in between, there are many opportunities for drunk driving. For this reason it is vital to be extra cautious.
The Stats
According to MADD.org in 2012, 10,322 people died in drunk driving car accidents. That's one every 51 minutes. Almost every 90 seconds a person is injured in a drunk driving car accident. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety in 2012, there were more than 12,500 arrests for drunk driving, in 2011 drunk driving accounted for 16% of all of Utah's traffic related fatalities. These are some alarming numbers. Numbers that could be avoided if people were more cautious and stayed off the road when they are under the influence of alcohol. Too many car accidents are caused for this reason.
The consequences
Community partners, statewide programs, and media campaigns work together with the HSO to educate the public about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving, as well as how to prevent it. An arrest for drunk driving is just one of the many total costs for fines and fees is estimated to run in the neighborhood of $10,000 dollars not including the increased insurance premiums that can result from a DUI arrest. Also, first time offenders in Utah can be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in all vehicles registered to them. An ignition interlock device is a breath test hooked up to the ignition. If the driver has a BAC of .02 or higher, the car will not start.
How to avoid driving drunk
To avoid driving drunk and putting yourself and others in danger, there are a few common sense things you can do. Never drink and then drive. If you know you will be driving then don't touch alcohol beforehand. If you insist on drinking, be smart about it make sure you have a designated non-drinking driver. Don't rely on the "one drink an hour" rule, in general one drink should be absorbed and eliminated from the body in one hour, but in reality alcohol metabolism is more complicated than that and depends on many different variables. Also, being in close proximity to your home does not increase your chances of getting away with drunk driving. You can cause car accidents that will harm both you and others.
The Holidays are a wonderful time of year. They're full of celebrations and time with family and friends. However, the holiday driving can be hazardous. Drunk driving tends to spike during the holidays here in Utah. With Christmas and New Years coming up soon, and the many holiday parties in between, there are many opportunities for drunk driving. For this reason it is vital to be extra cautious.
The Stats
According to MADD.org in 2012, 10,322 people died in drunk driving car accidents. That's one every 51 minutes. Almost every 90 seconds a person is injured in a drunk driving car accident. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety in 2012, there were more than 12,500 arrests for drunk driving, in 2011 drunk driving accounted for 16% of all of Utah's traffic related fatalities. These are some alarming numbers. Numbers that could be avoided if people were more cautious and stayed off the road when they are under the influence of alcohol. Too many car accidents are caused for this reason.
The consequences
Community partners, statewide programs, and media campaigns work together with the HSO to educate the public about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving, as well as how to prevent it. An arrest for drunk driving is just one of the many total costs for fines and fees is estimated to run in the neighborhood of $10,000 dollars not including the increased insurance premiums that can result from a DUI arrest. Also, first time offenders in Utah can be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in all vehicles registered to them. An ignition interlock device is a breath test hooked up to the ignition. If the driver has a BAC of .02 or higher, the car will not start.
How to avoid driving drunk
To avoid driving drunk and putting yourself and others in danger, there are a few common sense things you can do. Never drink and then drive. If you know you will be driving then don't touch alcohol beforehand. If you insist on drinking, be smart about it make sure you have a designated non-drinking driver. Don't rely on the "one drink an hour" rule, in general one drink should be absorbed and eliminated from the body in one hour, but in reality alcohol metabolism is more complicated than that and depends on many different variables. Also, being in close proximity to your home does not increase your chances of getting away with drunk driving. You can cause car accidents that will harm both you and others.
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