| Don't Make the Mistake of Driving Impaired This Holiday Season |
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(ARA) - The friends, the fun, the toasts … it's what the holidays are all about. But what happens when the celebration turns into regret, or worse off, a tragedy? Drinking and driving is a dangerous activity that increases during the holiday season.
Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and nonfatally injure someone every two minutes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Because of the many celebrations during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, more people have the opportunity to drink and get behind the wheel.
"You should never drink and drive, but thousands of people make the decision to do so every day. By taking some precautions and being responsible, you can help make the roadways safer," comments Keith Nothacker, founder and president of KHN Solutions, a company that makes alcohol testers.
Steps to staying safe this holiday season:
1) Plan ahead -- If you plan to drink at a holiday party, make sure that you have a sober person to drive you home. If there is no one available, use a taxi or plan to stay at the host's house overnight.
2) Pace yourself -- Drink only several drinks throughout the evening so you don't get overly intoxicated. Try drinking a glass of water between each drink and eat plenty of food.
3) Use a breathalyzer -- A personal breathalyzer helps encourage responsible drinking by providing an estimate of your blood alcohol content (BAC). A BAC of .08 percent is now considered legally intoxicated in all 50 states. Testing yourself and fellow partygoers during the night is an excellent way to monitor everyone's BAC levels
"New personal testers like the BACtrack breathalyzer help users make informed decisions about their blood alcohol content," comments Nothacker. "It is accepted in social gatherings as a source of entertainment and merrymaking through which a higher awareness of BAC safety is achieved."
Cleared by the FDA, the BACtrack accurately measures blood alcohol content without the use of a mouthpiece, so it is very sanitary. Users simply turn on the device, follow the indicator signals to blow into the target, and an advanced alcohol sensor algorithm estimates a person's BAC instantly.
"The BACtrack was designed to be small and stylish so people would willingly use it in public," says Nothacker. "We took that approach so people would find some entertainment value in having it, especially during the holiday season when many people are going out to celebrations and traveling. We can't make people choose not to drive after drinking, but we can provide them with useful information, and then hopefully they'll make the right decision."
The BACtrack can help ensure your holidays stay bright by letting you know when not to get behind the wheel. To learn more about BACtrack and how to measure blood alcohol content, visit www.breathalyzer.net.com.
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