AFMC encourages safety, drive sober for holidays

  • Published
  • By Wellness Center
  • Air Force Materiel Command
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Drinking and driving shatters lives. The nightmare can start with a phone call from law enforcement informing you that a family member has been involved in an alcohol-related accident.

"Drunk driving is 100 percent preventable and avoidable," said Steve Callon, AFMC Drug Demand Reduction Manager. "Planning ahead to have a designated sober driver is the best way to avoid a DUI or drunk driving crash."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2012. Those alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States during that year.

The NHTSA offers the following tips to stay safe and drive sober:

·  If you drink, don't drive.  If you drive, don't drink.
·  Designate a sober driver before the party begins; plan a way to get home safely at the end of the night.
·  Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
·  If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life.
·  If you are impaired, call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or call your local free ride program.

Did you know?

·  The average DUI costs the offender about $10,000.
·  Traffic fatalities involving alcohol-impaired drivers were nearly four times higher at night than during the day in 2012 (35 percent versus 9 percent).
·  15 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-impaired, compared to 30 percent on weekends during 2012.

Airmen Against Drunk Driving was formed to eliminate the number of DUIs/DWIs on Air Force bases and in surrounding communities. The goal of AADD is to safely return all military members and Department of Defense civilians to a residence if they are unable to drive themselves. Individuals that choose to drink should plan ahead for a designated sober driver or a ride home. But if the plan fails, call AADD. 

Eglin's AADD program is on call all holidays and every weekend from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Call 882-SAFE to reach a driver.