The National Safety Commission Alerts
Safety is No Accident
Monday, March 09, 2009
Taking The Keys From A Drunk Driver
Hopefully this will never happen to you but if you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of trying to take the keys from a drunk driver, hopefully these tips will help.
Prevention is the first step. As you probably already know, the first area of the brain to be affected by alcohol is the area that controls judgment. Once a person starts to drink, reason and judgment go out the window so trying to reason with a potential drunk driver is incredibly difficult. Alcohol also gives a person a false sense of ability, giving them the mistaken belief that they aren't as drunk as you may believe and they are capable of driving safely. To keep from getting to this point, friends who plan an event that includes drinking should agree beforehand on how they will get home safely. If a decision is made before you go out drinking, chances are that you will stick with that decision. You should also remember that it can take a very long time for someone to sober up. Hot coffee will not work. Alcohol has to be metabolized by the liver and that takes time.
Designating one or two people as designated drivers who agree not to drink at all is the best option for all. Many restaurants and bars strongly promote designated driver programs and will provide free soft drinks and, in some cases, appetizers and other premiums to the designated driver to keep them sober and allow them to get their friends home.
Taking some sort of public transportation such as a bus, train, or a cab is also an effective choice where they are available. Brewing companies such as Miller/Coors and Heineken have partnered with cab companies throughout the US to create 1-800-TAXICAB. This is an easy to remember phone number that will put you in contact with a local cab company. It's not free but it's a whole lot cheaper than a DUI conviction. Some localities have programs like the Support Anna program in the Puget Sound area of Washington State that has partnered with bars to give free cab vouchers to get drinkers home safely. Check your area to see if such a program exists. You can also check with the restaurant/bar you plan to patronize to see if they have a similar program.
If you find yourself in a position of trying to prevent someone from driving after they have been drinking, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips:
If it is a close friend, try and use a soft, calm approach at first. Suggest to them that they've had too much to drink and it would be better if someone else drove or if they took a cab.
Be calm. Joke about it. Make light of it.
Try to make it sound like you are doing them a favor.
If it is somebody you don't know well, speak to their friends and have them make an attempt to persuade them to hand over the keys. Usually they will listen.
If it's a good friend, spouse, or significant other, tell them that if they insist on driving, you are not going with them. Suggest that you will call someone else for a ride, take a cab, or walk.
Locate their keys while they are preoccupied and take them away. Most likely, they will think they've lost them and will be forced to find another mode of transportation.
If possible, avoid embarrassing the person or being confrontational, particularly when dealing with men. This makes them appear vulnerable to alcohol and its effects.
If all else fails, call the police. The police can be much more persuasive and they would rather prevent a drunk from getting behind the wheel than to respond to the scene of an alcohol related crash.
If the situation becomes heated and feelings are hurt, remember that, once reasoning returns after the person sobers up, it will probably all be quickly forgotten. Remember also that a temporary loss of friendship is preferable to the permanent loss of a friend through a drunk driving crash.
You've heard it before but it bears repeating; "Friends don’t let friends drive drunk."
Prevention is the first step. As you probably already know, the first area of the brain to be affected by alcohol is the area that controls judgment. Once a person starts to drink, reason and judgment go out the window so trying to reason with a potential drunk driver is incredibly difficult. Alcohol also gives a person a false sense of ability, giving them the mistaken belief that they aren't as drunk as you may believe and they are capable of driving safely. To keep from getting to this point, friends who plan an event that includes drinking should agree beforehand on how they will get home safely. If a decision is made before you go out drinking, chances are that you will stick with that decision. You should also remember that it can take a very long time for someone to sober up. Hot coffee will not work. Alcohol has to be metabolized by the liver and that takes time.
Designating one or two people as designated drivers who agree not to drink at all is the best option for all. Many restaurants and bars strongly promote designated driver programs and will provide free soft drinks and, in some cases, appetizers and other premiums to the designated driver to keep them sober and allow them to get their friends home.
Taking some sort of public transportation such as a bus, train, or a cab is also an effective choice where they are available. Brewing companies such as Miller/Coors and Heineken have partnered with cab companies throughout the US to create 1-800-TAXICAB. This is an easy to remember phone number that will put you in contact with a local cab company. It's not free but it's a whole lot cheaper than a DUI conviction. Some localities have programs like the Support Anna program in the Puget Sound area of Washington State that has partnered with bars to give free cab vouchers to get drinkers home safely. Check your area to see if such a program exists. You can also check with the restaurant/bar you plan to patronize to see if they have a similar program.
If you find yourself in a position of trying to prevent someone from driving after they have been drinking, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips:
If all else fails, call the police. The police can be much more persuasive and they would rather prevent a drunk from getting behind the wheel than to respond to the scene of an alcohol related crash.
If the situation becomes heated and feelings are hurt, remember that, once reasoning returns after the person sobers up, it will probably all be quickly forgotten. Remember also that a temporary loss of friendship is preferable to the permanent loss of a friend through a drunk driving crash.
You've heard it before but it bears repeating; "Friends don’t let friends drive drunk."
Labels: alcohol, driver safety
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Drinking and Driving During the Holidays
The holiday season is here again and the holidays present us with some unique driving situations. To have a safe and happy holiday season, some of these tips are worth remembering.
The festive nature of the holiday season provides us with some temptations that could lead to a dangerous driving situation. The obvious problem is alcohol consumption. That after-work party with a bit of spiked punch sounds innocent enough until you consider that, even if you are just slightly buzzed, you are still impaired. Alcohol takes time to metabolize out of the system and the daily commute is hazardous enough without adding alcohol to the problem. Remember that, even if you aren’t at fault in a collision, if the officer suspects that you have been drinking, you will be presumed to have contributed to the collision or to have been at fault. You could be charged with DUI and the insurance won’t pay a penny.
If you attend an evening party, it may be OK to have a small drink at the beginning of the evening so long as you know you will be there long enough for the alcohol to metabolize out of your system before you leave. If your plans include drinking during the party, make sure you have a designated driver or an alternative means of getting home.
If you are hosting a party where alcohol will be served you need to be aware that you can be sued if someone leaves your place and is involved in an alcohol related collision. To protect yourself, you need to ensure that all your guests have a designated driver to drive them home or that they call a cab. To be a really good host, you could consider not drinking anything yourself and offering your services as a designated driver to get your friends home. Also you should ensure that there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available for your guests. There are a lot of options; just make sure you choose the ones that are safest for your guests and that protect you as a homeowner.
If you don’t plan to attend any parties on New Year’s Eve, stay off the roads. There are just too many drunks out on the road on that night and that makes it dangerous for even the safest driver.
Remember these facts about alcohol:
• Alcohol is the same, no matter what form it takes. A 12 oz. can of beer has roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 6 oz. glass of wine and a 1.5 oz. shot of whiskey.
• Alcohol takes time to metabolize out of your system. Drinking coffee won’t speed up that time one bit.
• Be aware that drinking on an empty stomach will allow the alcohol to enter your bloodstream much faster.
• Know what you are drinking. If you don’t know exactly what is contained in that holiday punch, you could be consuming much more alcohol than you imagined.
Keep your holidays safe and festive. Don’t allow a poor choice to ruin the holidays for you.
For more articles on holiday safety visit our website at http://www.nationalsafetycommission.com.
Here’s wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.
The festive nature of the holiday season provides us with some temptations that could lead to a dangerous driving situation. The obvious problem is alcohol consumption. That after-work party with a bit of spiked punch sounds innocent enough until you consider that, even if you are just slightly buzzed, you are still impaired. Alcohol takes time to metabolize out of the system and the daily commute is hazardous enough without adding alcohol to the problem. Remember that, even if you aren’t at fault in a collision, if the officer suspects that you have been drinking, you will be presumed to have contributed to the collision or to have been at fault. You could be charged with DUI and the insurance won’t pay a penny.
If you attend an evening party, it may be OK to have a small drink at the beginning of the evening so long as you know you will be there long enough for the alcohol to metabolize out of your system before you leave. If your plans include drinking during the party, make sure you have a designated driver or an alternative means of getting home.
If you are hosting a party where alcohol will be served you need to be aware that you can be sued if someone leaves your place and is involved in an alcohol related collision. To protect yourself, you need to ensure that all your guests have a designated driver to drive them home or that they call a cab. To be a really good host, you could consider not drinking anything yourself and offering your services as a designated driver to get your friends home. Also you should ensure that there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available for your guests. There are a lot of options; just make sure you choose the ones that are safest for your guests and that protect you as a homeowner.
If you don’t plan to attend any parties on New Year’s Eve, stay off the roads. There are just too many drunks out on the road on that night and that makes it dangerous for even the safest driver.
Remember these facts about alcohol:
• Alcohol is the same, no matter what form it takes. A 12 oz. can of beer has roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 6 oz. glass of wine and a 1.5 oz. shot of whiskey.
• Alcohol takes time to metabolize out of your system. Drinking coffee won’t speed up that time one bit.
• Be aware that drinking on an empty stomach will allow the alcohol to enter your bloodstream much faster.
• Know what you are drinking. If you don’t know exactly what is contained in that holiday punch, you could be consuming much more alcohol than you imagined.
Keep your holidays safe and festive. Don’t allow a poor choice to ruin the holidays for you.
For more articles on holiday safety visit our website at http://www.nationalsafetycommission.com.
Here’s wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.
Labels: alcohol, drinking, driving, holidays, safety
