Buzz Driving is Drunk Driving, July 3

We often hear statistics that we only briefly register and then just as quickly forget, assuming–hoping–that those statistics will never touch us. How could we possibly know those faceless numbers? In 2015, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving-related car crashes, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities. That is 10,265 mothers, fathers, children, siblings, friends, grandparents, and so many more. To put it into perspective, that’s one person killed every 51 minutes. It’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing, with no survivors. Where is the outrage? This year, families and friends will head out to picnics and parties on Tuesday, July 4, to celebrate our nation’s independence. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration want to remind you that any time you drive under the influence of alcohol, you put everyone in danger, including yourself. Don’t be a 2017 statistic–help us spread this lifesaving message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. In every state and the District of Columbia, it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Yet, during the 2015 July Fourth holiday period (6 p.m. July 2 to 5:59 a.m. July 6), 146 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving at least one drunk driver or motorcycle operator (BAC of .08 or higher), accounting for a quarter of the deaths. Ninety-two people died in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .15 or higher–nearly twice the legal limit.