Happy New Year! But please be careful…

Over the years there have been times when I’ve taken some good-natured ribbing about a personal decision that I made when I was younger. You see, I don’t drink alcohol – at all. Other than a few sips years ago from mixed drinks, I’ve never really even tasted it. Never had a beer. Or wine. Ever.

There are a lot of reasons why I’ve made this choice – including that I’ve watched family members who have struggled with alcoholism, I have two cousins who were killed in drunk driving accidents when I was too young to really even remember them now, and the fact that I just plain don’t like the taste. It’s a choice that my husband shares as well, and really none of our close friends drink very often either – although it wouldn’t change anything even if they did. This is my choice, and I certainly don’t feel the need to impose my opinions on others or to judge them. Unless – people’s choices put others in harm’s way. Which is why I feel strongly about helping Global Influence (former Momfluence network) to spread the following message. These are their words, not mine – but please read on and even if this message doesn’t apply to you, help to spread the word so that others can make smart decisions this New Year’s Eve, and beyond.

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes – and during the periods around Christmas and New Year’s, this number was particularly high, with 316 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.  In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998.  You can’t help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people thought twice before getting behind the wheel.  With New Year’s Eve approaching, it’s important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving.  Who knows…it could save a life.

Please listen to Emily’s story about how Buzzed Driving changed her life:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed.  You can find out more information by following Buzzed Driving on Twitter (@buzzeddriving) and Facebook to get the latest updates and news.  You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website where you can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

While at holiday events, it’s easy to lose track of a drink here or there – but this can be fatal.  Have a safe and happy New Year, and remember that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

This post courtesy of: the NHSTA, the Ad Council and Global Influence. No payment or compensation was received for this post.