Drinking and Driving Don't Mix! READ METhis is a featured page

What can you do about drunk driving?
Follow these suggestions from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD):
  • Your best defense against a drunk driver is to wear your safety belt and make sure any children in the car are in child safety seats.
  • Never ride in a car operated by someone who has been drinking. Either call a cab or ask a friend to drive you home.
  • Report drunk drivers to law enforcement from a car phone or pay phone.
  • Keep a safe distance from anyone driving erratically.
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Drinking & Driving Do Not Mix
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?A=815&Q=244664
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MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
http://www.madd.org/

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 UI Health Care News: Week of January 30, 2006

Drinking and Driving Don't Mix --
Never Have, Never Will

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, each year alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. cost about $51 billion. In 2004, 39 percent of all traffic-related deaths were alcohol-related, and another 18 percent of motor vehicle deaths were drug related.
B.J. Hannon, R.N., UI Emergency Treatment Center, says that while anyone can drink too much and get behind the wheel of a car and become a drunk or drugged driver, statistics show that the demographic group most likely to die in a fatal alcohol-related crash is male and between the ages of 21 and 24. About 40 percent of all car crashes are due to drunk or drugged driving," says Hannon. "Drunk driving rates are 5 times higher at night and 51 percent higher on weekends and holidays."
Speed--either too slow or too fast--may be a sign of a drugged or drunk driver, Hannon says. "You are wise to give wide berth to erratic drivers who cross the white and/or center lines. You should call 911 so the driver can be stopped before hurting someone."
When someone drinks or uses drugs and then drives, he or she is more likely to disregard other laws, like safety belt use. An intoxicated driver is not thinking clearly and is unable to remember to do things like turn on their lights, put on a seat belt, drive in the right lane etc., Hannon says.
When an intoxicated person is involved in an accident, It can be challenging to treat that person in an emergency room. Often they are combative or belligerent. "As health professionals, we don't know if their behavior is due to alcohol or something else--like a head injury," she says. "We have difficulty getting simple medical information from them like allergies, medical problems, prior surgeries etc."
The bottom line is don't drink and drive. Be a responsible drinker. If you're with a group, appoint a designated driver. Be a good friend and take the keys from a friend who has had too much to drink.


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