December is National Impaired Driving Awareness Month across the nation and Armstrong Indiana Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission and Clarion Drug Free Coalition is participating in the campaign to highlight the critical issue of impaired driving and it’s impacts on individuals, families, and the community while offering resources to help.
The holiday season is the time of the year when intoxicated and impaired driving accidents are most prevalent. Drug and alcohol use impairs judgment, delays reaction times, and can result in deadly consequences when driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drugs are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths while drunk driving accidents account for 31% of all motor vehicle accidents. Additionally, thousands of drivers and passengers lose their lives each year because of drunk and drugged driving.
According to PennDOT, 239 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2020. Drunk driving deaths typically represent about a third of all traffic fatalities. Two of the most celebrated dates in December (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve) are among the most dangerous. Between December 24 and 31, 2020, there were 213 alcohol-related crashes in Pennsylvania. 3 people died in those crashes accounting for 19% of traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania during the holidays.
Most university students are home to celebrate the holidays with their families and high school students are off from school, leaving many opportunities for youth to consume alcohol and/or drugs and potentially drive. According to The Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), 26.7% of youth in Clarion County reported their willingness to consume alcohol when it is provided by parents or older friends in 2019. 13.7% of youth in Clarion County reported their willingness to try marijuana.
Armstrong Indiana Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission and Clarion Drug Free Coalition are celebrating National Impaired Driving Awareness Month by providing information about the dangers of impaired driving via social media. AICDAC is urging local community members to check out the social media pages below for further information:
www.facebook.com/clariondrugfree
www.twitter.com/PreventionStaff
Instagram – aicdac
If you or someone you know is experiencing problems related to alcohol, please call 814-226-6350, or the Clarion County crisis hotline at 814-226-7223, that is available 24/7.
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