New Year’s Revelers Should Take Safe Road

Many Southlanders are celebrating the (holiday) season with eggnog, hot toddies and other seemingly harmless, alcohol-laced drinks. However, the festivities can quickly turn sour if party-goers drink too much alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a car. This season can be safer if everyone is more aware of the consequences of drinking and driving.

During the past 10 years, there has been a downward trend in drunk driving. Tougher laws, education and better enforcement are key contributors to this trend. Law enforcement officers can immediately take away the license of motorists who are arrested for driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08% or higher.

Two new laws will help hinder drinking and driving. One allows courts to prohibit any DUI offender from operating a motor vehicle unless that vehicle is equipped with an ignition interlock device.

A second law calls for suspending the driver’s license of people under 21 (who are unwilling to submit to, or fail, a preliminary test) for one to three years if they are suspected of having a blood alcohol content of .01% or more and have had prior specified convictions.

It is apparent through the new laws and education efforts by organizations such as the Automobile Club of Southern California that Californians are getting very serious about reducing drinking and driving.

Help ensure that the downward trend for alcohol-related crashes continues. Some ways to help keep drunk drivers off the road are: offering nonalcoholic drink alternatives; arranging transportation home for any guest who has been drinking and even offering a small gift to those who volunteer not to drink alcohol for the evening. It’s a small price to pay to avoid the potential tragedy of a drunk-driving accident or the stiff penalties now part of the law.

ROBERT W. KANE

Regional Manager, Automobile Club of Southern California

Anaheim