Northwest Iowa — December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and is one of the deadliest times of the year for impaired driver fatalities.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper Kevin Krull says the period from Thanksgiving to New Years is one of the deadliest periods.
(As above) “This time frame between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve is just one of the deadliest times for the impaired driver time frames and it kind of spikes around those two major holidays, New Year’s and Christmas Eve. We want to have people do their part and just be aware of it. Maybe just bringing some awareness to this will help make a distance and lower those numbers.”
Trooper Krull provides some sobering statistics.
(As above) “We looked nationally and about thirty percent of the fatalities are included with the impaired drivers and they spike on those two holidays, to almost fifty percent of those fatal crashes being that. So, you know you’re looking at going from a third to fifty percent on these holidays. And the really frightening and sad part about that is that it’s one hundred percent preventable.”
He says the numbers are down in Iowa, but are still way too high.
(As above) “In Iowa, in 2008 there was 111 people. 2017, we’re still at 101 people, so we’re down a little but, but we’re still killing too many people in these time frames on these holidays.”
Trooper Krull talks about the frequency of fatal crashes involving impaired drivers.
(As above) “One of the other startling numbers is, every forty-eight minutes, someone in the United States dies in a crash at the hands of an impaired driver. So, every forty-eight minutes…that’s just staggering.”
He says a little planning ahead, BEFORE your holiday celebration, can go a long way.
(As above) “Just a little bit of planning ahead….and I think, overall, we’re doing a better job with this, with the planning ahead. Getting that sober ride. Know it in advance. Those office parties that are coming up, maybe make sure that we don’t have those extra cocktails…take it easy, pace yourself. Go in it for the long haul, rather than being that person that has to have several, have a non-alcoholic version in between, or maybe two of them in between every alcoholic version. That’ll ensure that you stay well below the limit. And just know your limit. Make sure to take care of yourself and don’t put yourself behind the wheel in those (situations).”
The monetary costs of driving impaired are staggering. The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau says the average drunk driving conviction in Iowa costs the impaired driver a total of about $10,000. But that pales in comparison to the mental and emotional costs of causing a traffic crash in which someone is killed or injured.
