The Union County Health Department and its partners are encouraging local residents to drive safely during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“With the Thanksgiving holiday kicking off a very merry time of year, it’s essential to take some time to remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving,” UCHD officials wrote in a statement.
UCHD officials encouraged those whose plans to celebrate include alcohol to plan for a sober driver.
“You may have heard of the popular trend during the Thanksgiving holiday, “Blackout Wednesday,” which occurs on the eve of Thanksgiving,” the statement included. “Unfortunately, this trend encourages the heavy consumption of alcohol, which is why we’re working hard to keep drunk drivers off the roads.”
Health department employees said drunk driving poses a serious threat to the community.
“We know friends and families will be especially excited to gather around the Thanksgiving table this year,” said Allison LeBorgne, Safe and Sound Coalition Coordinator for Union County. “Unfortunately, drunk driving is a real threat to our community, and that threat increases during holidays like Thanksgiving. We want our drivers to take ‘Blackout Wednesday’ seriously. This is a dangerous trend. Driving under the influence is deadly and illegal, and no one should ever take that risk.”
Drunk-driving-related crashes spike during the Thanksgiving holiday season.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, from 2015 to 2019, 135 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were alcohol-impaired, and over the entire holiday period (6 p.m. the Wednesday before Thanksgiving through 5:59 a.m. the Monday after Thanksgiving), nearly 800 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes.
In fact, during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday period, more than four times as many drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired during nighttime hours than during the day.
“If you know you’re headed out for a night of drinking, make sure you plan for a sober ride home. It is never safe to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk or otherwise impaired,” UCHD officials wrote.
This Thanksgiving Eve, NHTSA and its partners are conducting a social media blitz to remind drivers that “buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
NHTSA’s goal is to deliver lifesaving messages into the public conversation and to encourage positive actions that can help reduce impaired driving on the roadways. Remember, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher in the state of Ohio.
This traffic safety message is presented on behalf of the Union County Safe & Sound Coalition.
In October 2021, the Union County Health Department was awarded $25,000 for the 2022 Safe Communities grant. This grant is awarded annually from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) to implement safe driving promotions in Union County.
It serves as a helpful resource to the community in reducing crashes throughout the county with education and promotional resources. The Safe and Sound Coalition meets regularly to brainstorm event activities and ways to reduce crashes on the roads of our communities.
Those interested should contact Allison LeBorgne at the Union County Health Department for more information about traffic safety education efforts in the county at 937-642-2053.