During this festive holiday season, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds us to stay safe and keep those around us safe by not allowing drinking or drugged driving. The month of December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month and the NHTSA cautions drivers to not let holiday parties get out of hand, to pour lightly, serve plenty of food, and not be afraid to take the keys from a friend who has had too much to drink.

• An alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injures someone every two minutes (NHTSA 2006).
• In 2005, 16,885 people died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 39% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States (NHTSA 2006).
• Most drinking and driving episodes go undetected. In 2005, nearly 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (Department of Justice 2005).
• Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes are the single greatest cause of death for every age group from 6 through 33 years of age (National Commission Against Drunk Driving).
• Nearly 80% of all occupants killed in alcohol related traffic crashes were not wearing seat belts (National Commission Against Drunk Driving).