December 30, 2019 – This holiday season, lives have already been lost due to impaired driving according to officials investigating the wrecks. That’s why AAA is urging everyone planning New Year’s celebrations to prioritize safe driving.

During the 2019 New Year’s Holiday (Dec. 28, 2018 through Jan. 1, 2019), preliminary data indicates that 509 crashes occurred in Oklahoma. Fifty-nine were alcohol and/or drug-related, according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. 

Make it to 2020 by taking these approaches suggested by AAA:

• Host a mocktail party or friendly contest. Have guests bring their own drink creations sans alcohol, and select judges to taste test and score.
• If you’re hosting a holiday party, AAA urges you to offer tasty non-alcoholic drink options available for your guests and those serving as designated drivers.

Recipe ideas are posted at AAA.com/mocktail.

• Get sober before getting behind the wheel. Only TIME works – not coffee or cold showers. It takes about 1 hour to burn off an average drink. Five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1 ½ ounces of liquor all contain about the same amount of alcohol.
• Call a ride-share service or cab for a friend or yourself if even minor alcohol impairment is evident. Also consider downloading NHTSA’s free SaferRide mobile app. It allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so the user can be picked up.

“With so many options to driving after drinking, it doesn’t make sense to take that chance – especially with a great year ahead,” said Leslie Gamble, AAA Oklahoma spokesperson. “Choose a designated driver or call a ride-share service like Lyft or Uber.”

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