IMPAIRED DRIVING
As we reach the tail end of this holiday season, we prepare to welcome in a new year, and I am hopeful that all of our Lee County residents and guests have a wonderful, healthy and safe holiday!
Holiday get-togethers, office parties and New Year’s Eve celebrations are the norm and, often, these gatherings involve the use of intoxicants.
While we share this message annually, as do other law enforcement agencies and media outlets, it is a critical issue and we would be remiss if we did not discuss it.
Last year, over 13,000 traffic-related deaths occurred as a result of driver impairment.
Statistics are subjective and sometimes vary, however, it is believed that 62% of New Year’s Eve/Day traffic deaths are the result of impairment. Please read that sentence again. …
At perhaps the most joyous time of year, law enforcement responsibilities often require the ringing of a doorbell, followed by notification of the traffic death of a loved one.
Impaired driving deaths are preventable. It is our responsibility as drivers, as party hosts, as friends and family to ensure that no one gets behind the wheel having consumed intoxicants. No one.
“I’m fine” and “I can drive” are often the last words that we hear prior to fatal crashes.
I need not mention the options available to impaired individuals as they have been shared time and again. There are many transportation choices available to impaired individuals needing to travel.
Be a hero. Save lives. Ensure that no one gets behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated.
