With the holiday season upon us, the number of alcohol-related accidents will go up, according to Department of Public Safety Commissioner Santiago F. Tudela.
“We need to instill awareness to all drivers on the importance of not only their lives but the lives of their passengers,” Tudela said.
He said being responsible drivers will save the lives of people.
Tudela is also encouraging the community to take an active part in the ongoing campaigns of the DPS against drunk driving like the “Drunk Driving Over the Limit Under Arrest, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaigns.
These campaigns warn the community of the criminal penalties they will get for impaired driving, which could translate into imprisonment and loss of license, vehicle, time for work and money in fines and court costs.
December is CNMI Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.
In a proclamation which Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed at the DPS central office yesterday, he urged every driver to remember the hazards of impaired driving and to become involved in fighting this dangerous problem.
“Let us all help stop others from driving in an impaired condition, and to increase community awareness about these issues,” Fitial said.
The proclamation disclosed that 12,998 of the 41,059 people who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the nation were alcohol-impaired driving crashes last year.
This accounts for 32 percent of the nation’s vehicle traffic fatalities.
In December last year, 992 of the 3,235 people killed in crashes on America’s roadways were alcohol-related crashes which involved drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
