NHTSA Hosting Twitter Chat on Buzzed Driving, Tuesday at 2 pm ET

Every year, thousands of lives are lost due to impaired driving on holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day. In fact, over 700 people died from 2006-2010 on St. Patrick’s Day alone because of drunk driving.

That’s why this year we’re talking about more than shamrocks. On Tuesday, March 12, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hosting a Twitter chat to discuss the dangers of buzzed and drunk driving. Starting at 2 pm ET,NHTSA safety experts will be on hand to answer your questions about buzzed driving. They’ll be sharing facts and tips for how to keep safe and make certain you can enjoy the party while still getting home alive.

Remember:

• A person is killed every 51 minutes from drunk driving.
• 129 people in 2010 died on St. Patrick’s Day because of drunk driving.
• Plan a safe way home BEFORE the party starts.
• If you see someone driving buzzed on the road, call your local law enforcement.

We want people to know the very real risks of driving buzzed. It can result in jail time, loss of driver’s license, or, worst of all, loss of life. You have the power to help. Come join NHTSA on 3/12 at 2pm, ET, on Twitter. Follow the hash tag #buzzeddriving and ask questions.

Buzzed Driving Could Cost Around $10,000 – Six Tips To Prevent It

Did you know getting pulled over for Buzzed Driving could cost a driver around $10,000 in fines, legal fees, and increased insurance rates?

As the excitement and celebrations of the holiday season get into full swing, one thing that may not be on people’s minds is buzzed driving.  However, over 10,000 people were killed in 2010 in drunk driving crashes.  A buzzed driving crash can happen to anyone, anywhere.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council are continuing their fight against drunk driving with the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving PSA campaign.  So during this holiday season, amid all the hype, the shopping, and the parties, here are six easy tips to help prevent buzzed driving:

1. Spread the message about buzzed driving -http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/preHolidaySeason2012
2. Before drinking, designate a sober driver.
3. If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
4. If your community has a program that offers free rides home, use it.
5. If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local police.
6. Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, take the driver’s keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

You can find more information, get the latest updates and  ask questions on the Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Twitter feed (@NHTSAgov) and on Facebook. Be sure to join the Twitter Party Dec. 11, 2-3 p.m., where the topic is dangers of Buzzed Driving. Use the hash tag #buzzedriving. 

Additional Resources >> Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over >> Impaired Driving Information at NHTSA.gov

Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving - Halloween

Halloween means dark streets full of little kids distracted by candy and costumes. That makes it especially important to start planning a safe and sober ride home from whatever fun you'll be having that night - so your evening doesn't turn into a real nightmare.

Whether at a Halloween party, a costume contest at a bar or trick-or-treating through the neighborhood, many of us will be on the road this weekend. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council are reminding everyone that the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before you head out for your Halloween festivities.

We have a lot of helpful information and tools that would be great to show your readers:

·        Our new Halloween poster (below) - A poster that reminds people that if you drive buzzed on Halloween, your evening could turn into a real nightmare.

·        Designated Driver Drink List - One of the most important things you can do before going out is designate a sober driver. If you're throwing a Halloween party, make sure to offer non-alcoholic drinks for the sober drivers. We've compiled a Facebook tab with 50 non-alcoholic party drink recipes.

·        Alternative Ride Locator - We've created a Facebook tab with a list of nationwide alternative ride programs that can help keep your readers safe.

·        Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving website - Your readers can sign a pledge not to drink and drive; play "Spot the Difference," an interactive game that simulates the effects of buzzed driving; and watch a real-life video about how buzzed driving changed one woman's life.

This Halloween, let's work together to put an end to buzzed driving. Don't  ruin your Halloween with a DUI - or worse. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver before you begin celebrating. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

Don't Be Buzzed While You Are Driving

It's holiday party season - time to celebrate all of the exciting winter holidays with our friends and loved ones.  Our mailboxes are  flooded with invitations to parties and dinners and other holiday
get-togethers.  With these parties come food, fellowship, gifts, and
in many cases, festive alcoholic drinks.

In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - and during the periods around Christmas and New Year's, this number was particularly high, with 316
people killed in alchol-impaired driving crashes.  In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998.  You can't help but wonder if lives could have been saved if people
thought twice before getting behind the wheel.  With the holidays approaching, it's important that drivers be reminded about the dangers of buzzed driving.  Who knows...it could save a life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed.  Help spread this message during the
holiday season by posting about the dangers of buzzed driving, sharing a story or experience you might have had with buzzed driving and encouraging readers to follow Buzzed Driving on Twitter
(@buzzeddriving) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/buzzeddrivingisdrunkdriving) to get the
latest updates and news.  You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website (http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/) where readers can sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

While at holiday events, it's easy to lose track of a drink here or there - but this can be fatal.  This holiday season, keep you and your family safe by spreading this message.

Have a safe and happy holiday and remember that buzzed driving IS
drunk driving.


Disclosure: Part of the Global Influence Campaign