National Drunk Driving Prevention Month

With the end of November starting us off with Thanksgiving leading to December with office parties, visiting family for Christmas and more gatherings into the New Year. One gathering after another, sometimes driving to several different places during the holidays and maybe even enjoying a few festive adult beverages at each stop. It’s perfectly fine to enjoy the holiday’s with a beverage just make sure you have someone else drive.

In search of difference ways to sober up before you get behind the wheel, I went to the best place possible, the internet. If it’s on the internet then it’s true, right? Here’s a few drinking alcohol MYTHS that I found on Lifehacker.com:

1.      Drinking caffeine can sober you up – it may counter the sleepiness from drinking alcohol but it’s NOT going to sober you up.

2.      Having a bite to eat will soak up the alcohol and sober you up – maybe eating before you had alcohol and only if it was a few sips.

3.      Drinking kills brain cells – research shows this to be false but I don’t know. We all have that one friend. Just kidding.

4.      Once you “Break the Seal” you’ll be “going” more often – it’s not that you broke the seal, it’s the alcohol itself that makes you go more.

5.      One drink an hour keeps you sober enough to drive – we all process alcohol differently so this one is hard to measure.

To summarize, caffeine nor food will help you sober up, you just have to wait it out. You won’t lose any brain cells from drinking. Alcohol is what makes you “go” more. Instead of the “one drink an hour keeps you sober enough to drive” theory, go with the “better safe than sorry” theory.  

December is National Drunk Driving Prevention Month. No one likes to read about tragedies but it’s important to raise awareness. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, from December 1, 2013 – January 1, 2014, there are 2,367 DUI-alcohol traffic crashes in Texas resulting in 763 serious injuries and 92 fatalities. One life lost is too many but according to TxDOT, these numbers are down 8.9% compared to the same time frame as the previous year. Less is great but none is even better, especially since this can all be avoided.

There’s no excuse for driving under the influence. It’s against the law so why would you want to, especially when you have options:

1.      Call a taxi

2.      Get the Uber or Lyft app 

3.      Have a designated driver

4.      Take one for the team and you be the designated driver

5.      If you have to get out, make arrangement to stay at your destination

If you going to have an adult beverage, use these options. Don’t put your life or anyone else’s life in danger this holiday season. Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Are you an Uber or Lyft driver? Give the office a call today and let us make sure you have the right auto coverage because having the right insurance is NO accident.