There's never a bad time to remind the public of the need to practice safe driving habits. Reckless driving, operating motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to abide by seat belt and child restraint laws often lead to tragedy.
Urging people to act responsibly when behind the wheel is especially important during the holiday season.
During the Christmas holidays and other times of revelry (Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and the Fourth of July) people are more apt to celebrate and those celebrations often involve the consumption of alcohol.
Each holiday season, various groups and agencies, as well as the law enforcement community, embark on campaigns aimed at educating the public on safe driving habits. One such effort in Fayette County is the Hand Over the Reins program.
Begun in 1991, under the sponsorship of the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc., the program partners with private businesses to deter and reduce the incidence of drunken driving.
Hand Over the Reins offers simple but effective advice to those who revel in the holiday spirit: If you have been drinking, let someone who is not under the influence of any substance drive you home. You need to have a safe alternative way home. Having a designated driver is always a good idea. Some establishments that serve alcohol provide designated drivers with free non-alcoholic beverages.
Law enforcement agencies continue to urge people to refrain from drinking and driving, and to operate motor vehicles in a safe manner. And they are quick to point out that they'll be on the lookout for people who ignore that advice.
Figures show that efforts to promote safety during the holiday season, which runs Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, are warranted.
Without exception, tragedy -- attributed to a person's decision to drink and get behind the wheel -- is preventable.
We commend the law enforcement community and other groups and individuals who are committed to driving down the number of accidents and deaths on our highways. And we join them in promoting driver safety and wise decision-making during the holidays and throughout the year.
