Let's allow the statistics tell the story. The Department of Transportation estimates that, nationwide, at least 45 people will die each day during the holidays in alcohol-related crashes.
In the last decade Mothers Against Drunk Driving found between 52 percent of all crashes at Christmas were alcohol related. The number jumps to 57 percent at New Years. The average drops to 41 percent the rest of the year.
These are sobering numbers and that's why we wanted to take this time to talk about the life-saving importance of driving safe and sober this holiday season.
With office parties, family gatherings and New Year's toasts, the temptation to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol is great. Just last week in Howard County, officers conducted a sobriety checkpoint and made five arrests for driving under the influence -- five drivers taken off the roads before they could injure or kill unknowing motorists sharing the road with drunk drivers.
If you drink and drive this holiday season, you could be arrested. That's the good news. The bad news, you could kill someone. The message is truly that simple, don't drink and drive.
-- SHA: Impaired Driving Prevention