Health and Fitness : Drunk and Drugged Driving December, Impaired Driving Prevention Month

December marks that perfect time of year when everything but the weather is winding down, a time of holidays, family, friends, food, and celebration. It’s a month that closes out the year, only to help usher in what promises to be an exciting new year ahead. It’s a month of joy, bonding, and laughter. Yet may it also be a month of reflection and a month of action, as December is, by Presidential proclamation, National Impaired Driving Prevention month. By getting educated, exercising responsibility, and staying alert, we can make a collective difference in curbing impaired driving.

That impaired driving is a serious problem should be of no surprise, however its magnitude can scarcely be overstated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that daily, 300,000 people drive while intoxicated, and yet less than 4,000 of them are arrested. Numbers such as those can be staggering and rightly hard to put in to context. To help consider that, according to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, there are 161 impaired driving arrests made every hour, only to still have one person die every 51 minutes as the result of an impaired driver. For the month of December the rates are even higher, with an average of 25 people killed every day.

For many, driving impaired is a chronic problem. Of those arrested or convicted of drunk driving, nearly 1/3 are repeat offenders, with the Centers for Disease Control finding that an average drunk driver had driven drunk 80 times previously before their first arrest. Once caught, the consequences are costly. Just a first time offense can cost almost $9,000 in Iowa in addition to an automatic revocation of the offender’s license, not to mention outstanding criminal and civil liability for any damage or harm caused.

Many understand why alcohol and driving is deadly; it impairs judgment, inhibits coordination, obstructs your vision, and dulls your mental processes. Yet drunk driving is not the only impaired driving, driving under the influence of any drug can cause impairment. Often times, alcohol is used in conjunction with drugs, only exacerbating the effects. Marijuana in particular has been shown to increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents, impairing the user’s cognitive function, judgment, and coordination.

Too often, drunk drivers rationalize their behavior by thinking they can “handle” it, often with a misguided idea of how much they’ve had to drink. A drink is commonly defined as 12 oz. of a standard beer, 4oz of wine, and 1 oz. of liquor. Yet, not all ‘drinks’ are created equal, with many options available at bars and restaurants exceeding what would be considered a standard drink. On average, it takes about one hour to metabolize a drink out of the body, with time being the only factor that can sober someone up. Remember, what is relevant is not what type of drink someone had, but rather the amount of alcohol consumed over time.

To address this issue, it is important that we remember to, above all, act responsibly. The only safe level of alcohol to drive is zero. Never be afraid to call for a cab or arrange a ride, no risk is worth it. If you see someone driving impaired, notify law enforcement. A unified community stance against impaired driving is a step forward for all of us.

Sources:

http://iowaabd.com/files/client_files/023/3209/april_infographic.pdf

http://www.dea.gov/driving_drugged.html

http://www.madd.org/statistics/

http://www.dmv.org/ia-iowa/suspended-license.php