The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest on the nation’s roadways and also one of the most dangerous, due to a high incidence of alcohol-related traffic crashes.

December is “Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month,” which is a national campaign focused on keeping our highways and communities safe by encouraging our family members, civilians, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines to remain alcohol and drug free when operating a motor vehicle. That’s why the Fort Gordon Army Substance Abuse Program is joining with other national, state and local highway safety and law enforcement officials to remind everyone this holiday season to always designate a sober driver before each holiday party or event involving alcohol.

“The holiday season is supposed to be a time for family, friends, and festive celebrations, but it is unfortunately also a time when we see a tragic jump in the number of alcohol-related highway fatalities each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s” said Keith Clum, Fort Gordon alcohol drug control officer. “That’s why we are out reminding everyone this holiday season, if you catch a buzz, catch a ride.

Nationally, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 12,998 people died in alcohol-related highway crashes during 2007. The numbers decreased to 11,773 in 2008, which is a significant decrease, but each of these deaths is entirely preventable. Approximately every 40 minutes, nearly 36 times a day, someone in America dies in an alcohol-related crash. Hundreds of thousands more are injured each year. According to the NHTSA, about three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their lives. Many Americans have been the victim of a drunk driver or have a close friend or family member that died as a result of an impaired driving incident. Each one of these tragedies is one hundred percent preventable.

Furthermore, According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 10 million people age 12 and older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to being surveyed. This corresponds to 4 percent of the population age 12 and older, similar to the rate in 2007 (4.2 percent), but lower than the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). In 2008, the rate was highest among young adults age 18 to 25 (12.3 percent).

“Designating a sober driver before the party begins is just one of several, simple steps to remember to help avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for impaired driving,” Clum said, while offering these other simple reminders for a safer holiday season:

Don’t even think about getting behind the wheel of your vehicle if you’ve been out drinking;

If you are impaired, call a taxi – use mass transit – or get a sober friend or family member to come and get you;

Or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober;

And remember – Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

ASAP recommends if you are hosting a party this holiday season, remind your guests to plan ahead, always offer alcoholfree beverages during the event, and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver. For further information and tips on how to celebrate safely please see the “Celebrate Safely” brochure on the Fort Gordon Army Substance Abuse Program web- site, http://www.gordon.army.mil/garrfp/sites/directorates/ human.asp, under the section entitled “Party Safely during the Holidays.”

Since 1981, every President of the United States has proclaimed December “National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month” to help underscore the public’s commitment to preventing impaired driving and promoting the use of designated drivers and sober ride programs. The month of December and the New Year’s Eve holiday are also often highlighted by significant increases in state and local law enforcement efforts to combat impaired driving such as the use of sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.

Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is simply not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be really significant and not the way you want to spend your holiday season. Join with ASAP in making this a safe, joyous and happy holiday season for everyone!!!

It’s worth noting that many of our Fort Gordon Soldiers are “doing the right thing” when it comes making healthy, responsible decisions when it comes to drinking and or drugged driving. As of Dec. 15, the following units listed have gone over 500 days without their Soldiers receiving a positive drug test or driving under the influence charge: HHC 67th Signal Battalion, 523 days, B Company, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 543 days, B Company, 73rd Ordnance Battalion, 554 days, B Company, 297th Military Intelligence, 817 days, 434th Army Band, 1172 days, HQ & A Company, 442nd Signal, 1172 days, Dental Command, 1172 days, and the Southeast Regional Vetinarian Command, 1172 days. These units are exhibiting the behaviors outlined in “Warrior Pride” and are to be commended for this outstanding achievement. Hats off and a big Hooah to all of these units.

“So remember, this holiday season, if you “Catch a buzz, Catch a ride!!!!”