Drinking

1
Drinking Driving

• Every single injury and death caused by drunk
  driving is totally preventable.
• Unfortunately, over twenty percent of all traffic
  fatalities in the United State each year are
  caused by drunk drivers.        

2
Facts

• - The average BAC among fatally injured drinking
  drivers is .17.
• - Almost half of fatally injured drinking drivers
  have a BAC of .20 or over (which is twice the
  legal limit in most jurisdictions).
• High BAC drivers tend to be male, aged 25-35, and
  have a history of DWI convictions
• In a recent year, people aged 16 to 24 were
  involved in 28 percent of all alcohol-related
  driving accidents, although they make up only 14
  of the U.S. population.

3
College students drink less than people think.

• Even on the traditional party nights of Thursday,
  Friday and Saturday, 66 of the students returned
  home with absolutely no blood alcohol content
  two of every three had not a trace of alcohol in
  their systems even on party nights.
• College student "binge" drinking recently reached
  the lowest level in the nearly twenty years
• The proportion of American college students who
  abstain from alcohol has increased 16 between
  1989-1991 and 1995-1997
• The proportion of first year colleg
• e students who drink beer has fallen dramatically
  and recently reached the lowest point in over 30
  years.

4
THE SOLUTION

• Automatic license revocation
• mandatory jail sentence
• Passing and enforcing bans on open containers
  would reduce drunk driving by deterring drinking
  while driving.
• Restricting night time driving by young people.

5
PROTECT YOURSELF

• Don't drink and drive and don't ride with anyone
  who has too much to drink.

6
PROTECT OTHERS

• Volunteer to be a designated driver.
• Never condone or approve of excessive alcohol
  consumption. Intoxicated behavior is potentially
  dangerous and never amusing.
• Don't ever let your friends drive drunk. Take
  their keys, have them stay the night, have them
  ride home with someone else, call a cab, or do
  whatever else is necessary - but don't let them
  drive!

7
By Karrie K. Fortman

• You really can make a difference!
• Be a designated driver . . . be a hero.