Dear Readers and Subscribers,

I’d like to take a leaf from the AdCouncil’s buzzed driving campaign and reiterate a key safety message, just in time as the holiday season is kicking up into a higher notch. The holidays are a time to celebrate with friends and family. But it’s also a time to make sure you are keeping safe the ones you love. Whether you’re at a family holiday gathering, a New Year’s Eve bash, or driving around with your little ones, many of our social plans will involve driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the winter holiday season (December 26^th to New Year’s Eve) has one of the highest incidences of drunk driving fatalities.

A few alarming stats:

• During last year’s holiday season alone, 830 lives were lost in drunk driving crashes.
• Last year, deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers increased 4.6 percent, taking 10,322 lives compared to 9,865 in 2011.
• Buzzed driving can cost around $10,000 in fines, legal fees and increased insurance rates.

Ring in the New Year safely and plan ahead and designating a sober driver before they go out this year.

Be safe out on the roads.  Encourage your friends and family to avoid driving buzzed.