COLUMBUS – When it comes to driving drunk, Americans talk the talk but a new study indicates they don’t walk the walk.
Or, should we say, stagger the stagger.
A study by the AAA auto club’s Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality among motorists in regard to drinking and driving.
While nearly 97 percent find it unacceptable for a driver to get behind the wheel when they’ve had too much to drink, 1 in 8 drivers admit to driving when they thought their alcohol level might have been close to or over the legal limit at least once in the past year, says Kimberly Schwind, senior public relations manager for the AAA Ohio Auto Club.
Alcohol contributed to more than 12,200 crashes on Ohio’s roads in 2016, according to Ohio Department of Public Safety crash statistics, Schwind says, and more alcohol-related crashes happened in December than during any other month, with 1,113 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 607 injuries and 20 deaths, during that month alone.
New Year’s celebrations contributed to those numbers with 47 alcohol-related crashes on Dec. 31, 2016 and 82 alcohol-related crashes on Jan. 1, 2017.
AAA encourages partygoers to choose a designated sober driver or plan to call a cab or ride sharing service if they will be drinking and recommends hosts serve non-alcoholic beverages. Schwind says Ohio’s host liability law holds those who serve alcohol liable for injury or death that occurs due to their drunk guests.
Every year, social media messages circulate stating that AAA offers a service called Tipsy Tow on New Year’s Eve but Schwind says this service is not available in most areas of Ohio.