The car accident attorneys at Aaron Sachs & Associates are proud to sponsor Project Roadblock, an anti-drunk driving campaign designed to spread community awareness during the holiday season. Celebrations are popular this time of year, and many Missouri drivers will be hitting the road to visit family and friends all over the country. Unfortunately, more celebrations plus more drivers on the road can equal disaster, particularly when alcohol is involved--and that's why it's important to be especially vigilant during the holidays. Now in its 8th year, Project Roadblock is working to keep these facts on people's minds during one of the deadliest times of year for auto-fatalities.
"Project Roadblock: Local TV Puts the Brakes on Drunk Driving" is a public service announcement initiative exclusively for local broadcast stations. Its founders are proud that the initiative "continues to demonstrate the power of local broadcast television to influence, persuade or affect social behavior, and broadcasters' commitment to the safety of their communities." In the past, the campaign has been powerfully successful: in 2010, a post campaign Nielsen analysis showed that people who reported seeing a Project Roadblock spot during the week of Christmas and New Year's were more likely to intervene if they saw an impaired friend or relative attempt to drive.
Here in Springfield, we're happy to partner with local broadcast stations KOLR and KOZL in this campaign. This year, Project Roadblock will use the slogan "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving."
Here are some facts about impaired driving, courtesy of the Center for Disease Control:
- Almost 30 Americans die every day as the result of car accidents involving a drunk driver.
- In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in drunk driving accidents (representing approximately one-third of auto-fatalities). Over 1.4 million people were arrested for driving while impaired.
- The same year, 181 American children were killed in accidents involving drunk drivers. Staggeringly, half of those children were passengers in the vehicle operated by the drunk driver.
As an individual, here's what you can do to help:
- If you plan to drink, plan for a designated driver or call a taxi.
- Don't let an intoxicated friend or relative drive. Take their keys if necessary. You could be saving their lives - and the lives of other innocent people.
- If you're serving alcohol at a party, also plan to serve non-alcoholic drinks, and make sure your guests know they'll need designated drivers. As they leave, make sure each car has a sober driver.
We at Aaron Sachs & Associates wish you a happy and safe holiday season!
