This Cinco de Mayo,

Don’t Let Fiestas Lead to Fatalities

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

• Every year on May 5^th, people nationwide get together to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, with parties, festive foods, and lots of alcohol.
• The problem is, this holiday all-too-often leads to tragedy when people choose to drive drunk.
• From 2008-2012, there were 233 people killed in drunk driving crashes around Cinco de Mayo (6 p.m. May 4^th to 5:59 a.m. May 6^th) – 89 people in 2012 alone.  Those deaths were preventable.
• On Cinco de Mayo, if you plan to drink, plan NOT to drive.

Unfortunate Facts

• Every 51 minutes in 2012, a person was killed in a drunk-driving crash in the United States.
• In 2012, more than a third (34%) of all drivers involved in fatal crashes on Cinco de Mayo had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or more.
• In 2012, seventy-one percent of the drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes on Cinco de Mayo had BACs of .15 g/dL or more – almost twice the legal limit.
• In 2012, 198 people lost their lives in crashes around Cinco de Mayo, and almost half of those fatalities (45%) were in drunk-driving crashes. That means that the number of fatalities could have been cut in half if people had just designated sober drivers.
• Some people think they can drive after having “just a little” to drink. Remember, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. It’s illegal, dangerous, and unnecessary.

Plan Before You Party

Most people don’t plan to drink and drive, but unfortunately they don’t have a plan at all. Before you start to drink on Cinco de Mayo, designate a safe, sober driver.

• If you are planning on drinking, leave your car keys at home.
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
• If available, use your community’s sober ride program [insert your local sober ride specifics here].
• If you can’t find a safe ride or you choose to walk home, remember that walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement. You could save a life.
• And remember, if you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. If a friend is drunk and wants to drive, intervene and take the keys away if you have to.

Drunk Driving Just Isn’t Worth It

• Driving a vehicle or riding a motorcycle while impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and can last a lifetime. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant.
• Drunk driving violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car or motorcycle towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.
• The average DUI costs the offender about $10,000. Wouldn’t you rather pay for a taxi?
• Refusing a sobriety breath test won’t keep you out of trouble. In many jurisdictions, refusal can result in enhanced penalties, including immediate loss of your driver’s license.

For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.