Page 10 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – July/August 2021

SAFETY ZONE
Drunk Driving:
The Wedding Memory Nobody Wants
Alot of planning goes into your perfect wedding. We want our family and friends to share in
a very special day, as well as we want to start building wonderful memories. A drunk driving arrest,
by anyone involved, would shatter that chance. Look
at the statistics: The National Highway and Safety Administration reported 10,142 deaths caused by impaired driving in 2018. That is one death every 52 minutes. We also had more than 290,000 injuries. Federal statistics estimate that approximately 1.5 million people are arrested annually in the U.S. for impaired driving. Since the police can’t be everywhere, we all should shudder to think of how many drunk drivers actually are on our roadways at any given time.
The intention here is not to scare the bride or groom, just to encourage a little preplanning and some “out of the box” ideas. This is a great opportunity to delegate. For example, if the best man is planning a bachelor party, why couldn’t one of the other groomsmen look at transportation options? A similar approach could
be used for the bachelorette party. Designated drivers, taxis, ride-sharing services or limousines are all potential solutions. Try to arrange transportation in both directions. This tactic avoids leaving vehicles at the party location or having impaired drivers get behind the wheel.
How about the rehearsal dinner? Some rehearsal dinners are held at the home of a family member. A private party would be subject to social host laws. This
Shutterstock: Jacob Lund
means the host of the party may have legal liability if someone should get hurt, or hurts someone else after leaving a private party. These ramifications should provide additional motivation to plan ahead.
Let’s move ahead to the “big day.” The reception is the biggest of all wedding-related parties and the number
of people involved creates a challenge. Everyone should be able to relax and celebrate. Transportation options
are important concerns when choosing a venue that people often forget to consider. One simple solution is to host the reception at a hotel or nearby a hotel that offers a group rate. Try setting up a Facebook group for the wedding day and include it on your invitations or wedding website. The Facebook page could give your guests a way to connect in advance. Guests who don’t plan to drink could offer rides to those that will need them. It also would be a great way for people to form small groups
for cabs or ride-sharing. This approach would help your guests potentially save money and be able to look out for each other. Remember, you don’t have to be falling down drunk to be a danger on our roadways. “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”
AAA Hudson Valley is an advocate for traffic safety. Annually, we speak to groups about how to prevent situations like driving under the influence. There are a lot of problems on our roadways. We can do better. What are some of your ideas? Email trafficsafety@aaahv.com to give us your ideas and continue the conversation.
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Mike Sweeney is a Traffic Safety Educator at AAA Hudson Valley.