December is a month usually filled with joy due to the holiday season: but December is also a time to prevent impaired driving.

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month was initiated by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) focuses on raising awareness to the dangers of driving impaired and promoting safe driving during the holiday season.

The NHTSA has found that more people drive impaired in the month of December.

Impaired driving can come from the use of drugs or drunk driving. Impaired driving  is illegal in all 50 states and from 2019-2021 a study was conducted from multiple trauma centers and medical offices involving drivers who were seriously injured or killed: Almost 1,062 people died in drunk driving crashes and in the month of December the NHTSA recorded more than 4,750 deaths due to drunk driving crashes.

If people are drinking there are many safe alternatives to get them home: be a designated driver, call a family member or friend, maybe even an uber, take a bus, or even a train. If you are the one hosting a party, make sure that you don’t let your friends who had too much to drink drive home: offer them a place to stay or take their keys.

This is a month where we can share the great joys of the holiday season if you and your loved ones can drive sober and practice safe driving skills.