Keep yourself and those around you safe during New Year's holiday, do not drive impaired

Deaths caused by drunk drivers had decreased during the past three decades due to increased awareness, education and more choices of sober drivers, but authorities are seeing a rise in 2016. Over 10,000 people died in 2015 after someone chose to drink and drive.

New Year's Day is the single deadliest day for drunk driving and accidents caused by drunk drivers. The 12-hour window between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. on Jan. 1 tends to have about 71 percent more crashes where alcohol or drugs are listed as a contributing factor.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) will both ring in the new year with beefed up patrols to be on the look out for drunk drivers over the busy holiday weekend. They both see a surge of injuries and fatalities due to the increased alcohol consumption that tends to come along with the holiday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that drivers at a breath alcohol level of 0.08 percent, the legal limit in every state, were about four times more likely to crash than sober drivers. Drivers with an alcohol level of 0.15 percent were 12 times more likely to crash than sober drivers. Marijuana users were about 25 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers with no evidence of marijuana use.

In efforts to achieve the “Zero Fatalities” goal, drivers and riders are encouraged to know the law for blood alcohol levels and to abide by the following guidelines:

Designate a sober driver before drinking;
Use a taxi, ride-share, call a sober friend or family member or use public transportation if impaired;
Take advantage of local sober ride programs;
Call 911 if a drunk driver is spotted on the road;
Take the keys or assist in making other arrangements for someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired;
Those still suffering from hangovers may get behind the wheel of a car not thinking that they may still be considered intoxicated if pulled over;
A standard drink is all an average person can metabolize per hour. A 12 oz. beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine, and a 1.5 oz. shot are all considered one standard drink.