GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- This time of year, with all the holiday parties and festive occasions, many revelers will be drinking. If you're celebrating with alcohol this holiday season, The Army Substance Abuse Program has a message for U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Due to the increase in drunk driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, law enforcement agencies across America and USAG Bavaria will be out in force Dec. 12-Jan. 1, 2015, actively searching for drunk drivers.
The statistics are grim. In December 2012, in America, there were 830 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher; 26 of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day. On average, 31 percent of all crash fatalities in America involves drunk driving. But on Christmas day 2012, the percentage jumps to 36 percent.
We have learned that drunk driving isn't a victimless crime. You could kill yourself or someone else, or get a DUI and go to jail. It's illegal in Germany drive over the limit of .05 grams per deciliter (g/dL). And it might not take as much alcohol as you think to get there.
Every year, more than 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers in America. It's one of the primary missions of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to drastically reduce this toll on our nation. So as part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign period, police will increase their number of patrols, set up roadblocks and use local media to reach all drivers.
If you're drinking and driving, USAG Bavaria MPs and local Polizei could arrest you. The penalty is face jail time, fines, loss of your drivers license, towing fees and other DUI expenses which total $10,000 on average. This does not take into account the humiliation among family, friends and colleagues.
The only way to truly avoid a DUI is to drive sober. There are many ways to get home safely after drinking, and driving isn't one of them. Designate a sober driver ahead of time, or call a friend or family member. You could also use public transportation, call your unit Staff Duty, or call a taxi. The cost of cab fare is nothing compared to a $10,000 DUI or the cost of someone's life, and the 'inconvenience' of not driving your own car home is nothing compared to the inconvenience of spending the holidays behind bars.
In addition to reminding all drivers to drive sober, Col. Mark Colbrook, USAG Bavaria commander, called on the community in his Thanksgiving Holiday Safety Message to be alert.
"When you celebrate with family and friends, remember to celebrate responsibly - designate a driver or call a cab when you or your friends have had too much to drink. We all have an obligation to stay safe, whether on duty or off, and it's especially important we remind each other of this responsibility during our time off," he said.
USAG Bavaria drivers, please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:
• Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk--or worse, the risk of having a crash.
• If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
• If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use public transportation or call your unit CQ or Staff Duty.
Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.
For local information, contact Liz Bechtel at DSN 475-8520, CIV 09641-83-8520. Elizabeth.a.bechtel2.civ@mail.mil.
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