National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

By Kacey Flores, PA-C, Physician Assistant, Coastal Gateway Health Center

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are two of the most celebrated holidays in the month of December – and have also proven to be the most dangerous. According to NHTSA, 13,384 people died in alcohol-related accidents in 2021. The CDC has identified that 37 people die every day in the United States in alcohol-related car accidents. That means a death every 39 minutes. If that isn’t astonishing enough, the month of December has proven to be the highest month for impaired driving deaths year-round, likely due to increased travel and holiday events. Furthermore, Texas is ranked #1 in the US for drunk driving fatalities. Impaired driving is a serious (and entirely preventable) epidemic and must be treated as such.

Drugs — including opioids, marijuana, and some over-the-counter medicines — can also impair driving by causing drowsiness, altering vision, and affecting mental judgment and motor skills. Even other factors, such as fatigue and stress, can impair your ability to drive. Drivers should avoid operating a motor vehicle while impaired by any of these factors, just as if they consumed alcohol. 

That’s why for more than 40 years, preventionists across the country have observed National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December to raise awareness that impaired driving can be deadly and to put strategies in place for all of us and our families to make it home safely.

Take personal responsibility this holiday season by making a plan for a safe ride home before your celebrations begin. Designate a non-drinking, unimpaired driver. Take an Uber or other rideshare option, a taxi, a bus, or a train. Driving while intoxicated is not worth the risk or the lives of you and your loved ones.

Remember that there are no shortcuts to “sobering up” and preparing to drive. A person’s coordination and reaction time are slowed long before they show signs of intoxication. Coffee is not a cure-all. Even slowing or stopping drinking an hour or more before planning to drive does not mean the alcohol has “worn off.” Parents can discuss the dangers of underage alcohol and substance use—especially when combined with driving—and set expectations for their child’s behavior. Perhaps offer to pick them up from social events during the holidays. Peer pressure can make it easy to accept a ride with an intoxicated friend, so having a plan beforehand has proven to be most effective. Each of us has the power to prevent a tragedy.

Coastal Gateway Health Center reminds you to celebrate safely this holiday season. At the same time, we should be mindful that many in our communities could be experiencing the holiday blues. If you or someone you love needs mental health support and services, I encourage you to call 1-800-662-HELP or make an appointment with our clinic. If the individual is in crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free and confidential support by dialing 1-800-273-TALK.

Coastal Gateway Health Center can be reached by phone at 409.296.4444 or by email at [email protected].  Or for more information regarding our services and programs, please visit our website at www.coastalgatewayhc.org or find and follow us on Facebook.  We are proud to be #yourcommunityhealthcenter.