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What’s New

Communities Talk What’s New articles share information to help event organizers plan, host, and evaluate events aimed at mobilizing a community around evidence-based prevention of underage drinking.

Resources to Help You Curb Drinking and Driving in Your Community

11/17/2016

For many people, Thanksgiving kicks off a period of celebrations and festivities. While this is a wonderful time to connect with family and friends, it can also be a dangerous time to be on the road due to drugged and drunk driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 3,900 people were killed between 2011 and 2015 in December crashes that involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit of .08 percent. In December 2015 alone, 840 people lost their lives in crashes involving a drunk driver.

December is also one of the top months in which 12- to 17-year-olds first try alcohol. Nearly 11,500 underage youth will use alcohol for the first time on an average December day, making the holiday season a perfect time to remind parents and caregivers to talk with their young children about the dangers of drinking, including drinking and driving. This is an especially important topic for underage youth, as data show that they are involved in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes despite being too young to legally purchase or possess alcohol. In 2013, 29 percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in crashes had alcohol in their systems.

If you’re planning to host a Communities Talk: Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking event before year’s end, consider including the topic of drinking and driving. If you’ve already hosted a Communities Talk event, don’t forget to complete your Organizer Survey and your Event Recap.

NHTSA’s public service drinking and driving prevention campaign has materials you can tailor and use in your own communities, such as fact sheets, videos, radio public service announcements, and social media tips. Here are more resources:

  • The Ultimate Party Foul helps new drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 remember that it is illegal to drive with any amount of alcohol in their systems.
  • Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving is a social norming campaign for all drivers during the holiday season, reminding them that driving with any amount of alcohol in their system is dangerous.
  • Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over offers tools to help enforce drunk driving laws and drunk driving prevention initiatives.

To encourage your community to talk about the dangers of underage drinking as well as drinking and driving, check out the following resources:

Help your community to plan ahead for a sober ride home, remind underage youth and even adults that drinking and driving has serious consequences, and most of all, help keep your community safe through the holidays.

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