Family life has changed dramatically in the last 40 years, and it’s never more evident than over the holiday season. Increasingly, people are splitting time between two sides of the family, which may mean two events (or more) on one holiday. The repeat for the next one.

Add into the mix work events, community cocktail hours and football viewing parties, and one could potentially do a lot of driving in a short period of time. When the festivities call for drinks, the roads can become a dangerous place, filled with cheery, warm-hearted drivers who had one or two eggnogs and were trying to get to the next family gathering.

One drink is too many to drive

A lot of logical thinkers would assume St. Patrick’s Day, or even New Year’s Eve, hold the crown for most alcohol-related car accidents. However, a 2009 Forbes article says Thanksgiving claims that title. There are more families on the road, and more drivers have had a glass or two of wine. You may already be familiar with the term “buzzed driving” which implies that someone has been drinking lightly but still has impaired judgment and shouldn’t be behind the wheel.

Luckily, a Huffington Post article offers some advice on how to avoid buzzed driving:

• Take the keys from the very drunk – if someone is noticeably impaired, it might be easy to get the keys away. Call the person a cab, or enlist a sober driver (meaning one who has not been drinking at all) to get your friend or family member home.
• Remind everyone of the police – it doesn’t hurt to casually drop a line when someone is about to drive about the many roadblocks or safety checkpoints you’ve heard about. Sometimes simply saying “I heard the cops are out tonight” can prevent a buzzed driver from getting on the road.
• Set some ground rules – if you are hosting the party, make sure everyone knows they will be turning over their car keys to get their first drink. If you’re organizing a work event with alcohol, make sure the company offers safe cab rides for anyone who’s been drinking.

The holiday season is hard enough to survive. Don’t make it even more dangers with drunk or buzzed driving.

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