Alcohol-Impaired Driving Over Holidays Can Destroy Dreams for Texas Families
Alcohol-Impaired Driving Over Holidays Can Destroy Dreams for Texas Families
Alcohol related crashes are ranked higher in Texas than in any other state. More than 1,500 Texans lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2005. The holiday season clams more lives to alcohol related deaths than any other time of the year and statistics show that the days immediately after Christmas are the worst for traffic deaths.
The holiday season is a great time to visit family, but few adult gatherings are alcohol-free. This means that more people may be driving impaired than other times of the year.
A study of information from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis shows the days immediately preceding Christmas are among the top deadliest vehicle fatality days of the year. The Thanksgiving holidays supply another surge upward in traffic deaths.
In Texas, the risk may be higher than in other states, based on the state’s past record. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas ranked number one in alcohol-related crashes in 2006. More than 1,500 Texans who lost their lives in traffic crashes in 2005 had alcohol in their blood at the time of the accident.
Central Texas counties lost more than 219 citizens to alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2006. Travis County has the highest number of alcohol-related crashes of the central region, at 64 in 2006. The Texas counties with the highest rates per 100,000 are Wheeler County (103), Roberts County (120) and Oldham County (140).
“You never want to lose a family member to an accident, but losing one around a family holiday just makes the pain worse,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “Any family member who can’t make rational choices when it comes to alcohol use needs immediate help to prevent such disasters. At Narconon, we have been helping people overcome substance abuse problems for the last forty years. With 70 percent of those we have helped remaining substance-free two years after graduation, we have helped to make the holiday season safer for everyone.”
Mr. Thorpe pointed out that during the holidays, requests for help that Narconon receives increase. “A survey of families coming to us for help found that 73 percent experience more problems, upsets and emotionally traumatic situations during the holiday season than any other part of the year. The right moment to get an addicted person help is really the very first moment you can and no later. You want to avoid any possibility that they will add to the traffic fatality statistic.”