By Presidential proclamation since 1981, each December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3-D) Prevention Month, dedicated to preventing motor vehicle crashes caused by impaired driving. December has been chosen because it is the month of parties, family gatherings and other events where liquor is often available.
About 30 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States involve alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone every 45 minutes and injures someone every two minutes.
The astounding financial costs of fatal vehicle crashes exceed $24 billion every year.
The personal cost of just one DUI ranges from $5,800 to $29,000, according to Money Geek. The cost of higher insurance following a DUI ranges from $1,000 to $10,000 and to up to $40,000 over 13 years.
What’s more, consider what it will cost you if your driver’s license is suspended or revoked.
Maybe you’ve heard all of this before, but stop to think of how being arrested would affect you and your family. If you enjoy an alcoholic drink or two, be sure to have someone in your party who will not be drinking at all. It doesn’t take much to have a blood alcohol reading of .08, and it could change your life for years to come if you are charged with impaired driving.