NHTSA, USDOT Launch Security Campaigns for 2024 Thanksgiving Week – Security

Tens of millions will hit our nation’s roads this Thanksgiving week, desperate to spend time with household and mates. It’s one of many 12 months’s busiest journey occasions, so what does this imply for fleet drivers on the clock through the holidays?

For one, it means sharing the street with different motorists in a rush to get to their households for Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, touring on the street through the holidays will not be at all times a foul expertise for business fleets and commuters.

With sufficient time for preparation, you may guarantee secure travels through the vacation. Celebrations begin the Wednesday earlier than Thanksgiving, alluding to a just lately developed nickname “Blackout Wednesday”, often known as “Drinksgiving”.

The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Division of Transportation have created a number of advert campaigns, reality sheets with speaking factors, press releases, and formatted social media texts that can be utilized to advertise street security through the 2024 Thanksgiving week celebrations.

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

In the course of the Thanksgiving vacation weekend, NHTSA is working diligently to remind drivers that “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.” Their objective is to help visitors security advocates and to coach the general public on the hazards and penalties of impaired driving. Learn the statistics under and assist unfold their lifesaving message:

• In 2022, 100 drivers have been concerned in deadly visitors crashes on Thanksgiving Eve (6 p.m. November 23 to five:59 a.m. November 24) and 184 fatalities through the Thanksgiving vacation interval (6 p.m. Wednesday to five:59 a.m. Monday).
• From 2018 to 2022, 479 drivers have been concerned in deadly visitors crashes on Thanksgiving Eve.
  • 30% (143) of these drivers concerned have been drunk, with a blood alcohol stage of .08 g/ dL or larger. 
• The 21-34 age group had the best share (38%) of drivers concerned in deadly drunk-driving crashes on Thanksgiving Eve from 2018-2022.
• Of all drunk drivers concerned in deadly visitors crashes that occurred on Thanksgiving Eve from 2018-2022, 109 have been males, and 25 have been females.
• From 2018-2022, over all the Thanksgiving vacation, there have been 833 fatalities in visitors crashes that concerned no less than one driver or bike rider who was drunk.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Drunk driving endangers these behind the wheel, their passengers, and others on the street. Legislation enforcement companions know the best way to spot an impaired driver and won’t hesitate to tug them over.

For those who’re going to drink, plan for a sober journey. A number of choices can be found to impaired drivers to assist them get house safely. These embody designating a sober driver, scheduling a taxi or rideshare service, or using the sober journey program provided by their group.

The price of a journey house is a small value to pay in comparison with the monetary and authorized penalties of a DUI or DWI, which might quantity to 1000’s of {dollars}.

Whereas the main focus of the NHTSA’s marketing campaign initiatives is to discourage impaired driving, officers will even problem citations and make arrests throughout visitors stops for the next: pace, working and not using a license, visitors signal/visitors gentle violations, seat belt violations, drug arrests, and prison arrests.

The objective of elevated regulation enforcement efforts through the vacation isn’t just to arrest impaired drivers. Their mission is to reinforce public security and stop pointless tragedies by discouraging individuals from making the harmful choice to get behind the wheel whereas intoxicated.

If in case you have a good friend who’s about to drink and drive, step in. Take the keys away and assist them get house safely. Motorists are inspired to name 911 in the event that they encounter an impaired or unsafe driver on the street.

Drinksgiving and Blackout Wednesday: A Pre-Vacation Phenomenon

Have you learnt about Drinksgiving? The Wednesday earlier than Thanksgiving is without doubt one of the greatest bar nights of the 12 months. It’s comprehensible why this specific day earlier than a vacation is a giant night time for bars. The vast majority of Individuals have the time off on Thanksgiving.

Many return to their hometowns to go to households, and for school college students, it’s usually the primary time they’re again on the town since leaving for campus. The temptation to drink whereas seeing outdated mates, attending a reunion, or gathering collectively is excessive.

The time period Blackout Wednesday comes from the blackouts or reminiscence loss that may end result from binge ingesting, outlined as 4 or extra drinks in succession for ladies and 5 or extra drinks in succession for males.

How Alcohol Impacts Driving Potential

Irrespective of how usually you devour alcohol, even one drink can have an effect on your driving means; nonetheless, many drivers don’t perceive the impacts that an growing Blood Alcohol Focus (BAC) can have. Regardless of the authorized restrict in most states being 0.08, analysis reveals that having a BAC at even 0.02 can have an effect on consideration and judgment.

The NHTSA outlines the consequences as such:

• .02 BAC – some lack of judgment, a decline in visible capabilities (like monitoring a shifting goal), and decreased multitasking means.
• .05 BAC – decreased coordination, issue steering, and lowered alertness, inflicting a decreased emergency response.
• .08 BAC – short-term reminiscence loss, poor muscle coordination, impaired notion, and decreased data processing.
• .10 BAC – decreased means to carry out primary driving duties like lane positioning and braking.
• .15 BAC – vital automobile management impairment, inattentiveness, and decreased visible and auditory processing.

The primary secure driving tip for the largest ingesting day of the 12 months is to not get behind the wheel you probably have been ingesting. Analysis has proven {that a} driver with a BAC between .05 and .07 is 6 to 17 occasions extra more likely to be killed in a single-vehicle accident than a driver with a .00 BAC.

The 2024 Alcohol-Impaired Driving marketing campaign will happen between Nov. 23-27, 2024. NHTSA encourages you to publish main as much as and together with Thanksgiving Eve whereas mates are reuniting and taking part in celebrations that will contain alcohol.

Beneath are some related hashtags to make use of when posting in regards to the marketing campaign:

• #BlackoutWednesday
• #HappyThanksgiving
• #BuzzedDriving
• #ImpairedDriving
• #Drinksgiving

By working with the NHTSA and their Blackout Wednesday Marketing campaign, we are able to share their social media playbook, which incorporates particular content material, belongings, and directions to handle drivers and encourage them to not drive impaired.

Whether or not you’re commuting for work through the vacation or celebrating Thanksgiving Eve, Drinksgiving, or Blackout Wednesday, communication efforts throughout this time of the 12 months could assist save lives.

For extra data, go to the NHTSA web site.

Buckle Up. Each Journey. Each Time.

Though vacation celebrations could convey impaired driving and extra harmful roadways, to assist fight deadly crashes, the NHTSA has a year-round social norming marketing campaign specializing in seat belt use.

In the course of the 2022 Thanksgiving vacation weekend alone (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, to five:59 a.m. on Monday, November 28), there have been 326 passenger automobile occupants killed in visitors crashes throughout the nation, and 43% (141) have been unrestrained. 

No matter whether or not alcohol or drug-impaired driving was a think about these crashes, not sporting a seat belt proved to be lethal at any time of the day through the vacation weekend: 47% of these killed in nighttime crashes have been unbuckled, and 38% of these killed in daytime crashes additionally have been unbuckled. 

Keep in mind, one of many most secure selections drivers and passengers could make is to buckle up. Seat belts are the very best protection in opposition to impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers.

Editor’s Be aware: This text was initially revealed in November 2023 and was up to date on November 22, 2024, for continued relevancy on alcohol-impaired driving statistics and secure vacation driving habits.