Every year around the holiday season, we send out safety information about how traffic crashes, and thus fatalities and injuries, go up during this period. And yet, every year we have more people killed and injured. So what can we say except…don’t be a turkey…drive sober and buckle up!
If you get to all of your holiday destinations this year, that’s something to be thankful for, because in 2008, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, 94 people died in traffic crashes in Missouri and 5,163 were injured.
That’s why the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is using advertising messages to urge drivers not to drink, or to call a cab or designate a driver from Nov. 23 through Dec. 20.
Even if you are not involved in a crash, consider the consequences if you are caught driving while intoxicated: you could have your license suspended, or even lose it, incur thousands of dollars in fines, and end up spending your holiday in jail.
One other sure recipe that can turn a joyful holiday into a tragedy is failure to buckle up. Regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
So, please make sure the only belt left unbuckled during the holidays is the one at the dinner table, not the one in your vehicle. And, if you’re drinking, just don’t drive. We want everyone to Arrive Alive.
To learn more about impaired driving or other safety programs, visit saveMOlives.com.
