The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is one of the deadliest and most dangerous times to be on roadways, due to an increase in drunk driving. That’s why December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.

Federal and state laws concerning impaired driving have become increasingly strict in order to prevent drunk driving. Currently, all states have a legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of 0.08, but many drivers can become impaired if any amount of alcohol is in their system.

It’s impossible to know how many drinks it will take for someone to reach the legal BAC, so, to avoid the substantial risks of drunk driving, it’s always best to never drive after drinking any amount of alcohol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the average cost of a DUI—including fines, legal fees and more—is $10,000. It’s much cheaper and safer to take a taxi, Uber, Lyft or other driving service.

Take a look at these statistics to see why it’s never a good idea to drive after drinking:

·         On average, 28 people are killed from drunk-driving crashes every day. That’s about one every 52 minutes.

·         Statistically, 2 out of 3 people will be involved in a drunk-driving crash at some point in their lives.

·         Drunk driving costs each adult in the United States almost $800 per year.

·         In 2012, over 29 million people admitted to drinking and driving.

·         An average person with a BAC as low as 0.02 percent will have noticeable difficulty tracking objects and multitasking.

·         Drivers with a BAC between 0.02 and 0.05 are seven times more likely to die in a crash than sober drivers.

At Ferranti-Graybeal Insurance, we want to make sure you have a happy and safe end to the year!  2016 is right around the corner!