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Take warning during holiday party season

Date Posted: Wed, Oct 28 2015, Styrk
The turkey has been put away and trees are being decorated. Up next, holiday parties with family, friends and co-workers.

If alcohol is part of those parties, law enforcement encourages drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel.

During Dec. 2104 in Cleveland County, the N.C Department of Transportation recorded 782 criminal and traffic violations -- 31 for driving while intoxicated and 320 for speeding. There were 40 checkpoints in the county last December and that number should stay consistent this holiday season.

"There will be DWI checkpoints throughout the county, run by multiple law enforcement agencies," Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford said.

The law enforcement agencies in the county work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to perform checkpoints.

Moderate drinking doesn't mean 'safe to drive'

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stresses, even moderate alcohol consumption should be taken seriously.

The administrations campaign, "Buzzed driving is drunk driving," is used across law enforcement agencies.

"You have to choose your role before drinking begins: will you drink or will you drive? Remember, even if you only have a little bit to drink and think you're 'okay to drive,' you could still be over the legal limit," read a statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ledford believes responsibility shown by local establishments deters drunk driving in Shelby.

"Our local establishments push for responsible drinking by their customers," Ledford said.

Be on the look out

"During the holidays, we have some of the heaviest travel days," Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman said. "It increases the odds that something could happen."

Over the next month, law enforcement will be on the lookout for impaired and distracted drivers. They also ask for other drivers to help out.

"We welcome any and all 911 calls from citizens who believe that someone is driving impaired on the roads," Norman said.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HOLIDAY SAFE

-Plan ahead and designate a sober driver.

-Call a taxi.

-Or take advantage of an app called BeMyDD. This group provides a driver that will either take your own personal vehicle and will drive you around an area, for $14 to $20 per hour, or it will send a driver to pick up you and your vehicle and transport both safely back home. The group will offer free pick-up and delivery of a vehicle in the 50-mile radius of Charlotte -- this includes Kings Mountain and Shelby -- from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Dec. 5 for their Designated Driver Campaign. For more go to www.bemydd.com.

Page 2 of 2 -- Know the risk

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated:

Drivers who had been drinking at the .08 breath alcohol concentration had about four times the risk of crashing as sober drivers.

Drivers with alcohol levels at .15 breath alcohol concentration had 12 times the risk of crashing.

From Dec. 18-31 2013, there were 1,180 people killed in crashes in the United States, and almost one third of those fatalities were in drunk-driving crashes. In December 2013, 733 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver.

Compared with other age groups, teen drivers under the legal drinking age are at a greater risk of death in alcohol-related crashes. Nationally in 2013, 29 percent of drivers between 15 to 20-years-old killed in crashes had a breath alcohol concentration of .01 or higher.

MORE HOLIDAY DRIVING TIPS

Here are some general safety tips for navigating the highways safely during the holiday travel season from N.C. Department of Transportation:

-Leave early to get a head start on your drive. Travel at non-peak hours when possible.

-Stay alert. Even if work is suspended, you may encounter narrowed lanes and traffic shifts in work zones.

-Be patient and obey the posted speed limit.

-Use alternate routes, when possible, to avoid traffic congestion.

-Stay informed. Real-time travel information is available online and over the phone by dialing 511.

-Don't drive drowsy. Travel at times when you are normally awake, and take frequent breaks.

-Avoid distracted driving. When drivers stop focusing on the road ahead, they react more slowly to traffic conditions and are more likely to be involved in an accident.

Distributed by Tribune News Service