Whether you’re traveling across town or across the country for Thanksgiving, we want you to get there safely. Two easy ways to help accomplish that: buckle up and don’t drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. During the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, nearly half of all passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were unbuckled. And nearly one in three traffic fatalities involved a drunk driver.
BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING AND IF YOU FEEL DIFFERENT, YOU DRIVE DIFFERENT
By now, we all know the dangers associated with drunk driving. It’s important to also understand even a small amount of alcohol can affect a person quickly. For example, someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can have some loss of judgment. Drugs can also impact how a person drives. In fact, it’s been proven that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychoactive effects — slows reaction time, impairs cognitive performance, and makes it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane. It may surprise you, but some prescription and over-the-counter medications can also impair your driving. Before taking a new medicine or a higher dose of a current one, don’t drive until you know what effect it has on your judgment, coordination, and reaction time. Certain medications may not impair you on their own, but if taken with a second medication or with alcohol, they may cause or even amplify impairment.BOYCOTT BLACKOUT WEDNESDAY AND DITCH DANKSGIVING
Recent cultural trends during the Thanksgiving holiday, “Blackout Wednesday” and “Danksgiving,” promote heavy consumption of alcohol and marijuana throughout the long holiday weekend. Once again this year, NHTSA and its partners are conducting a social media blitz featuring the hashtags #BoycottBlackoutWednesday and #DitchDanksgiving to discourage driving drunk or high.
BUCKLE UP – EVERY TRIP. EVERY TIME.
It’s a fact: seat belts save lives. But a large number of passenger vehicle occupants killed during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year weren’t wearing their seat belts — especially at night.
- 291 passenger vehicle occupants were killed
- 54% of those killed at night were unbuckled
- 42% of those killed during the day were unbuckled
By driving sober, buckling up every time, and making sure your passengers do the same, you can help ensure that you and your loved ones arrive to your holiday destination safe and sound.
