Drive Safe Program Initiated

The hol­i­day sea­son is here. Yes­ter­day of course, was Christ­mas. Now, as we head for the next big hol­i­day, New Years Day, the National High­way Traf­fic Safety Admin­is­tra­tion wants to remind dri­vers that it’s dan­ger­ous to drive after drink­ing.

The Williams County Health Department’s Safe Com­mu­nity pro­gram reminds dri­vers that even if you only have a lit­tle bit to drink and think you’re “OK to drive,” you could still be over the legal limit, because ‘Buzzed Dri­ving Is Drunk Dri­ving.‘

Drunk dri­ving remains a killer on our nation’s roads. Every year, more than 10,322 peo­ple are killed by drunk dri­vers in Amer­ica. This time of year is espe­cially dan­ger­ous due to hol­i­day cel­e­bra­tions and fre­quent par­ties. In Decem­ber 2012 alone, 830 peo­ple were killed in crashes involv­ing at least one drunk dri­ver or motor­cy­cle oper­a­tor. On aver­age, about 31 per­cent of all crash fatal­i­ties in Amer­ica involves drunk dri­ving.

Safe Com­mu­ni­ties has issued a press release, urg­ing folks to plan ahead by des­ig­nat­ing a sober dri­ver. If you plan on drink­ing at all, don’t plan on dri­ving. To help make the choice not to drink and drive on New Year’s Eve, the annual Safe Ride Home pro­gram will be pro­vided as a com­mu­nity ser­vice by Grace Com­mu­nity Church in com­bined effort with WBNO-WQCT Radio and Williams County Safe Com­mu­ni­ties from the Williams County Health Depart­ment.

On New Year’s Eve from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. vol­un­teers from Grace Com­mu­nity Church in Bryan will pick you up at any home, tav­ern, party, club, or orga­ni­za­tion in Williams County and pro­vide you a safe ride home to loca­tions within Williams County. Best of all, this ser­vice is free. You may call 419–636-5449 and reserve a safe ride home before the party or you may call on New Year’s Eve.

Accord­ing to Shan­non Coo­ley, admin­is­tra­tor at Grace Com­mu­nity Church, last year 50 peo­ple were pro­vided with safe rides home on New Year’s Eve.

Whether you’ve had one, or one too many, always hand the keys to a sober dri­ver or call 419–636-5449 on New Year’s Eve for a Safe Ride Home.