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Holiday Season Comes With Spike in Drunk Driving
Nov 24 2009 by Courtney Messenbaugh
The holidays are coming and it’s time to decorate the house, buy some gifts and hit the party circuit. It can get a little crazy sometimes. Before the holiday rush begins, we wanted to remind moms — everyone, really — about the importance of not driving under the influence.
In a recent post by MotherProof.com’s own Chief Mama Kristin Varela, she cited the staggering statistic that arrests of women driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol has increased 28.8 percent between 1998 and 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. During the same time period, DUI arrests for men decreased 7.5 percent.
I’m not here to judge. Heaven knows that my wild, pre-mama youth included some poor decision making. However, age and motherhood have prevailed, and where I used to see a choice, I now see none. It’s never a good idea to drive if you’ve been indulging in any amount of alcohol or drugs, and there’s no better time to remind ourselves of this than now.
The holiday season is one of the deadliest times of the year. Consider this: Between 2002 and 2006, nearly 40 percent of fatalities on the road involved alcohol-impaired drivers and happened during the last two weeks of December, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Each year, more than 1,000 people typically die between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day in drunken-driving crashes nationwide, according to MADD.
The holidays are a time of year that has more stress than usual. It might seem like a few drinks are a good way to take the edge off; if that’s your choice, take a taxi home, call a friend for a ride — do anything but get behind the wheel, especially if you have your little ones in tow. It’s time to help write some new statistics by making the right choice this holiday season.
