December is here and you know what that means – “Our Biggest Sales Event of the Year!” only to be upstaged three days later by “Our Biggest Sales Event of Year!”  Last week I snatched up some perfect gifts at great prices and considered myself quite the bargain babe.  Came down to earth 3 days later when the newest sales circular had the exact same sales. 

Another absolute truth about the holiday season is an increase in accidents involving drinking and driving.  I ran across an article yesterday, published by our trade association – The Professional Insurance Agents of NJ (PIANJ).  I was surprised to learn that every day, 32 people in our country die in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion. 

If you’re playing Holiday Host this year, here are some steps you can take to ensure safety:

• Serve alcoholic drinks only on request and offer a good selection of nonalcoholic beverages. 
• Avoid making alcohol the main focus of the social event. Entertain your guests with music, games and dancing.
• Always serve food when serving alcohol. High-protein foods such as meat and cheese take longer to digest, slowing the rate at which the body absorbs alcohol. Try not to serve salty foods because they make people thirsty and inclined to drink more.
• Do not serve alcohol to minors.
• Don’t let someone who has had too much to drink get behind the wheel.  Instead, call for a cab, invite the guest to spend the night or ask a sober friend to give the guest a ride home.

When you’re driving, be cautious of any driver who:

• Makes unnecessarily wide turns
• straddles lanes or drives on the median line
• drives at night without headlights
• drives at speeds below the speed limit
• brakes erratically or stops without cause
• accelerates or decelerates rapidly
• nearly strikes and object or curb

Finally, a few tips if you encounter a drunk driver on the road:

• Do not attempt to stop the car
• Maintain a safe distance
• Note the vehicle’s description and the direction it is traveling
• Call 911 with the info

Because too many folks think “If you drink, don’t drive” doesn’t apply to them, 4 million innocent people are injured or have their vehicles damaged in alcohol-related accidents each year.   Please do your part to keep the roads safe this holiday season.