As we schedule seasonal parties on our calendars, we should be making sure to have plans in place to ensure safe celebrations.
Hosts should be mindful of their guests, while partygoers must also make an effort not to get carried away.
The expression "party responsibly" no doubt sounds like some kind of oxymoron to some, but it does not mean people must completely refrain from cutting loose and imbibing their favourite spirits, or perhaps even consuming some soon-to-be-legal cannabis.
All it means is making sure not to get behind the wheel after becoming inebriated or impaired enough to the point sustained speech and balanced walking have become monumentally challenging feats.
There is no such thing as an acceptable excuse for making the conscious decision to drive impaired.
Always consider alternate options, and never pretend there aren't any ó designated drivers, cabs or even just simply catching some shut eye on a couch are all far preferable options to risking ending up six feet under after having your mangled remains extricated from a wreck on the highway.
Or worse, walking away from a crash unscathed, but charged with vehicular manslaughter and impaired driving with an impending taxpayer funded stay in the crowbar hotel complemented by a lifetime of overwhelming regret.
Authorities and the media beat this proverbial drum several times a year. We would love nothing more than to stop, but in good conscience cannot as some motorists continue to insist on taking this needless risk. Until the message has fully sunk in and statistics show impaired driving is a phenomenon of the past, we'll continue to remind everyone about the risks.
"The Traffic Injury Research Foundation determined that, in 2013, of Alberta drivers killed in collisions, more than one in four was over the legal limit for alcohol, and one in two had used drugs," reads a government press release made public earlier this month.
Driving impaired does not necessarily mean just being drunk or high, which includes over-the-counter as well as prescription and illegal drugs. Also contributing to collisions is driving distracted or fatigued. These factors have for the past five years resulted in an annual average of 7,550 Criminal Code convictions for impaired driving in the province, the government says.
"Impaired driving is a crime regardless of whether impairment is caused by alcohol or any other drug," said Supt. Gary Graham, officer in charge, Alberta Traffic Services.
"Everyone has a role to play in traffic safety. Please take time to plan for a sober ride to and from your destinations this holiday season."
Brian Mason, minister of transportation, said deaths that are the direct result of impaired driving are "tragic, criminal and entirely preventable."
Hard to argue with that.
All of this being said, the holidays are a time of year to celebrate, and I hope all of our readers enjoy a safe, memorable Christmas and New Year that can be fondly recalled as joyous festivities, as opposed to a depressing time of mourning the needless and completely avoidable loss of a friend or family member.
