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St. Lawrence County Sheriff Wells reminds motorists to drive sober during holiday season

Posted 11/29/13

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin M. Wells is reminding people that, if they want to have a drink or two this holiday season and still move about on the highways, they should always designate a sober …

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St. Lawrence County Sheriff Wells reminds motorists to drive sober during holiday season

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St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin M. Wells is reminding people that, if they want to have a drink or two this holiday season and still move about on the highways, they should always designate a sober driver.

“The holidays are a time for celebration, visiting with loved ones, and reflecting on the year past and the year ahead. Yet all too often, the holiday spirit is destroyed by the recklessness of a drunk driver,” Sheriff Wells said.

That’s why the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office is joining with highway safety partners and law enforcement organizations across the country this November and December to remind everyone that “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” and that drinking and driving don’t mix.

“Whether you’ve had one or one too many -- drinking and driving is never worth the risk,” said Wells “If you are going to drink, designate a sober driver before the party starts, and encourage your friends and family to always do the same.”

Twenty-nine percent of fatalities during the Decembers of 2007 to 2011 occurred in crashes that involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. “While everyone knows that driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle while impaired seriously jeopardizes your safety and the safety of others on the road around you, we still see far too many lives lost each December,” said Wells.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 760 people died in the U.S. as a result of an impaired-driving-related crash during December 2011. Sheriff Wells is encouraging people to take steps to ensure their holiday celebrations don’t end in tragedy.

• Designate a sober driver before the celebrations begin; plan a way to get home safely at the end of the night.

• If you are impaired, call a taxi, phone a sober friend or a family member.

• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking or impaired by another substance, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.

Whether a driver is impaired by alcohol or by prescription medications or illegal substances they are still a tragedy waiting to happen, Wells said.

“The holidays should be a time for celebration, not tragedy,” said Wells. “Help us make St. Lawrence County’s roadways safer by never driving after drinking.”