Motor

vehicle safety is a 20th century public health

achievement that relies on the individual to make it

work.

"You

drink and drive: you lose" is the message from the

Fayette County Health Department this holiday season as

the agency joins with local, state and federal

organizations for a public education campaign to kick off

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

The

reduction of the rate of death attributable to motor

vehicle crashes in the United States represents the

successful public health response to a great technologic

advance of the 20th century - the motorization of

America.

systematic method of addressing motor vehicle safety

began in the 1960s when approximately 38,459 deaths were

attributed to motor vehicle crashes. In 1966, after five

years of steadily increasing death rates, the Highway

Safety Act created the National Highway Safety

Bureau.

Dr. William

Haddon, a public health physician, was NHSB's first

director. He applied standard public health methods

and epidemiology to the prevention of motor

vehicle-related injuries and deaths.

The year

1966 also saw the passage of the Highway Safety Act and

the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which

authorized the federal government to set and regulate

standards for motor vehicles and highways. Following

this legislation, many changes in road and vehicle design

were implemented.

Vehicles

were built with new safety features, including head

rests, energy-absorbing steering wheels,

shatter-resistant windshields, and safety

belts. Road improvements included better marking of

curves and lanes of traffic, use of break-away sign and

utility poles, improved lighting, addition of barriers

separating oncoming traffic, and guardrails.

By 1970,

motor vehicle-related death rates were decreasing, and

the NHSB had changed its name to the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration.

Though very

significant progress has been made, much remains to be

done. In 1997, motor vehicle crashes resulted in 41,967

deaths, 3.4 million nonfatal injuries, and 23.9 million

vehicles in crashes; cost estimates are $200 billion.

Though

these statistics represent a decrease, alcohol and youth

continue to play a major role in traffic related deaths.

Last year, impaired drivers were responsible for almost

16,000 fatalities nationwide, accounting for 305,000

reported injuries. There were an estimated 1.5 million

arrests of impaired drivers in 1997. Moreover, in

that same year, the death rate for young motor vehicle

occupants (ages 16-20) was more than twice that of the

U.S. general population.

Analysis of

crashes involving youths show that teens are more likely

to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, ride with

an impaired driver, and drive after drinking alcohol or

using drugs. As drivers who are relatively new to

the road, young adults under 21 are still learning to

negotiate roadways and become familiar with the general

rules of the road. When alcohol is added, the mix

can be deadly and the criminal repercussions severe. (DUI

and underage drinking.)

Whether

adult or teen, the simple fact is that driving while

impaired is a crime. Over the years, alcohol has

become an accepted, even expected fixture of holiday

celebrations, sporting events and social get-togethers.

Therefore, it is common that such situations arise, but

they are easily avoided by choosing a designated driver

or planning alternate modes of transportation.

Unfortunately,

too many people continue to drive while impaired, citing

inconvenience, pride or embarrassment as excuses for

their reckless behavior. Studies show that

impairment begins at any blood alcohol concentration over

.00. Though you may think that you can be charged

with DUI only if you are found to have a BAC of .10 or

more: you can still be charged (even if your BAC is, lets

say .04) if you have been drinking, or are otherwise

chemically impaired to the extent that it is deemed to be

less safe for you to be driving, or otherwise in control

of a motor-vehicle.

There is

also a three-hour window of opportunity within the law

that allows a person with an elevated BAC to be charged

with DUI, so leaving the scene of an accident won't work

either.

BAC is

affected by many variables (i.e. individual body mass,

previous experience with alcohol, amount of food consumed

prior to drinking, etc.), so answering the question

- How much is too much? - varies widely among

individuals. It is always best to use a designated

driver, or make alternate travel arrangements if you plan

to drink. The only truly safe driving is sober driving.

The Fayette

County Health Department lends its support to NHTSA,

local law enforcement, and SAFE KIDS of Georgia in an

effort to prevent impaired driving, and raise awareness

in our community about its deadly consequences. It

is time to address impaired driving as a serious issue

that costs our residents million of dollars each year in

lost time, lost property and, most importantly, lost

lives.

The

greatest tragedy is that deaths due to alcohol-related

crashes are not accidents - they are preventable.

You can

help keep our roads safe and saves lives (maybe even your

own) by remembering: YOU DRINK (DRUG) and DRIVE: YOU

LOSE.