Breed Apart
As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend approaches and millions prepare to celebrate with family and friends, let’s redouble our efforts to increase awareness of drunk- and drug-impaired driving risks. Here’s why this is so important:
- Nationwide, 479 drivers were involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving eve – sometimes called Blackout Wednesday – from 2018 to 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s nearly 100 drivers involved in fatal incidents on a single day every year, and 30% of those drivers were drunk.
- 26% of drivers seriously injured or killed in crashes from 2019 to 2021 had THC in their system, according to a study by NHTSA. THC is the main psychoactive chemical component in marijuana.
Alcohol and other drugs impact judgment and slow coordination and reaction time – all vital to safe driving. Here’s how you can be an advocate for road safety during the days leading up to Thanksgiving:
- Share safety tips: If you’re going out, plan ahead for a sober ride home. Appoint a designated driver, use a taxi or rideshare service. Slow down, buckle up and drive distraction-free.
- Get social: Make use of free resources from the Texas Department of Transportation. Call attention to the Faces of Drunk Driving. Get everyone thinking about road safety during the holiday season.
- Lead by example: Share seasonal messaging provided by NHTSA around drunk and drugged driving.
- Engage employees: Tap into the Our Driving Concern library, download safety posters, access driver safety games and enroll everyone on your team in a 12-minute course that outlines what happens when different drugs combine to create a volatile mix.
- Meet their needs: FindTeatment.gov offers resources to serve Spanish-speaking employees and communities, including confidential and anonymous access to certified substance use and mental health treatment facilities, certified community behavior health clinics, opioid treatment programs and healthcare centers.
The reward for putting safety first? A seat at the table for turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie!
Seat Belt Snug & Granny Hug
Many of your coworkers, friends and loved ones could benefit from a reminder to buckle up on the way to grandmother’s house.
While seat belt use generally has increased across the country over the years, research shows seat belt use still varies by time of day, seating position and geographic location, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Check out these findings from an observational study conducted in 2022:
- Seat belt use in the back seat (82%) was 10 percentage points lower than in the front seat (92%)
- Seat belt use was lower among occupants of pickup trucks (87%) than occupants of cars (91%) or vans and SUVs (94%)
- Seat belt use among those killed in crashes was consistently 10 percentage points lower at night than during the day over a 10-year study period
The message to share: Seat belts are the best defense against impaired drivers, aggressive drivers and distracted drivers. Buckle up – in every seat on every trip. Research shows being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle. The seat belt not only slows you down, it spreads crash forces over the strongest parts of your body.
Use these three free resources to promote seat belt safety:
- 15-second video from TxDOT: Mmhmm Grandma
- Have a Fine Thanksgiving: Social media graphics from NHTSA
- Buckle Up, Phone Down: Safety poster from Our Driving Concern
Roads will be particularly crowded during the Thanksgiving holiday period, but you can bet Grandma will be waiting at the front door for your family to arrive – safe and sound.