Give the Gift of Safe Driving This Holiday Season

For many, the holidays are a time of giving, and one of the greatest gifts is sober driving.

Once again this holiday season, NHTSA is partnering with law enforcement in your hometown to spread the messages: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different — Drive High Get a DUI. The campaign runs from December 18 through January 1 and aims to educate people about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk and high, and that law enforcement will be stepping up patrols to get impaired drivers off the roads.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Drunk driving is a problem on our nation’s roads every day, but it’s more prevalent during the holidays. During the New Year’s and Christmas periods in 2018, there were 285 drunk-driving-related fatalities. These deaths were 100% preventable. In 2018, there were 10,511 people killed nationwide in drunk-driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third of the crash fatalities that year. The tragedy of these deaths is felt year-round, but for many, most strongly during the holidays.

If You Feel Different, You Drive Different - Drive High Get a DUI

Like drunk driving, drug-impaired driving is illegal in all 50 states. In 2017, 45% of the drivers killed in fatal crashes who were tested for drugs, tested positive. Whether the drug is obtained legally or illegally, drug-impaired driving can be deadly for drivers, passengers, and others on the road.

Tips for Getting Home Safely

If you have a holiday gathering on your calendar, make smart choices and plan out how you’re going to get home safely once the celebration ends. If you are the designated driver, make a commitment to 100% sobriety to keep you and your friends safe. If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement immediately. Doing so could save the life of the driver, passenger, and others on the road. And, if you have a friend who is about to drive impaired, take away their keys and help them make arrangements to get home safely — it will be the greatest gift you ever give them.

As we've seen since the public health emergency began, drivers are making riskier decisions when they're behind the wheel — including drinking and driving. As the year comes to a close and a new one begins, make it a point to drive sober every day.

Source: nhtsa.gov

Warm Holiday greetings to you all. We write this note to you with joyous confidence that 2021 will bring happier, healthy, and more profitable days to us all! That wish is certainly a cause for optimistic celebration this Holiday season.

Our Holiday gift to you is the gift of small business in your community. To be able to buy locally is a true gift to your neighborhood as well as to your family and friends. We hope that everyone reading this takes a measured effort to buy local to the fullest extent possible, not only during this Holiday season but going forward as well.

Buying local is one of the best gifts you can give to your neighbors and your community. Visit a local restaurant, salon, store, or shop for better relationships and better customer service; but more so you can shake the owner’s hand and wish them the best in 2021 and beyond. That will be a gift for you both. Help make this a joyous holiday for everyone: Give the gift of your business to a local business.

We wish you and your entire family happiness, health, and warmth this Holiday season. Our warmest regards to you all.

Boston's artists and creative businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, and they need our support now more than ever.

Shopping local for the holidays is a great way to alleviate some of the financial losses and hardships the arts community has faced. Here are some great options to explore when searching for holiday gifts this year:

1. The Boston Women's Market Holiday Shop features a vast array of gifts and artwork created by women artists, makers and business owners in New England.
2. Harvard Ed Portal's Allston-Brighton Winter Market is happening virtually this year. The marketplace celebrates local creative entrepreneurship by uniting buyers with fine art and handcrafted gifts. In addition to physical artwork, this year the market will also feature experiences like workshops and interactive online programming.
3. Dorchester Art Project's new storefront at 1486 Dorchester Ave. features a variety of vinyl, tapes, clothing, and visual art by local artists. It's open Wednesdays through Saturdays this month from 12-8 p.m. and Sundays from 12-6 p.m.
4. Black Market is hosting Black Joy Market at 2136 Washington Street in Roxbury every Saturday from November 28 through December 19. Experience a curated selection of local vendors while listening to a holiday playlist composed by Roxbury Sound System.
5. SOWA's Winter Pop-Up hosted by Wyllo will feature items by local female artists and makers. The pop-up is located directly across the street from Wyllo's main boutique at 65 Thayer Street, and will run Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. until December 20.
6. CraftBoston Holiday 2020 presented by the Society of Arts + Crafts celebrates craft artists and the work they make. Shop fine handmade goods at the online store and check out some of their virtual events.
7. GK! Market is a new digital marketplace for local diverse and inclusive businesses. It's free to use, and you can filter by women-owned businesses, LGBTQ-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, and more.
8. The Jameson & Thompson Winter Market in Jamaica Plain will bring together 8-10 vendors to show their locally sourced, handmade products every Sunday from Thanksgiving until Christmas.
9. The Boston Globe, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and Small Business Strong are hosting Shop Small Saturday on November 28 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. This one-day virtual event gives you a chance to browse a broad marketplace and purchase goods and gift cards from local restaurants, shops, and artisans from home.
10. Attending a virtual event is another great way to support Boston's arts community during this time. We have a list of upcoming virtual events, and we also encourage you to take a look at ArtsBoston's virtual events calendar.

We would like to remind you to celebrate safely this holiday season. We stand with all those who have known the tragic consequences of drugged or drunk driving, and we rededicate ourselves to preventing it this December and throughout the year.

Impaired driving includes distracted driving, drugged driving, and drunk driving.

Why do we recognize National Impaired Driving Prevention Month?

In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk, and 10 million Americans drive impaired by illicit drugs.

A survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that 13.2 percent of all people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year.

Furthermore, rates of impaired driving differed dramatically by age.

• While 11.8 percent of people aged 26 and older drove drunk, 19.5 percent of people aged 16 to 25 drove drunk.
• And, 2.8 percent of the older group drove drugged, while 11.4 percent of younger drivers did so.

December seems particularly suited to this observation because traffic fatalities that involve impaired drivers increase significantly during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods.

• On average, 25 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes per day during December 2010.
• Young adults are among those at greatest risk for driving impaired. During December 2010, drivers 21 to 34 years old were alcohol impaired and involved in fatal crashes at a higher percentage than any other age group.

All 50 States and the District of Columbia enforce the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years. NHTSA asks minors to avoid alcohol, and encourages parents and other caregivers to make a new or renewed commitment to never cater a party to underage drinking. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life. Families play an essential part in stopping impaired driving. By talking about the risks and setting clear expectations, parents and other caregivers can help their children stay safe, sober, and focused on the road.

Prevention Resources and Toolkits:

• Traffic Safety Marketing – a website with free campaign posters, TV/radio/web ads, and other resources, including more about NHTSA’s Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving(link is external) and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns.
• Too Smart to Start – a website dedicated with evidence-based approaches to help youth, families, educators, and communities prevent underage alcohol use and its related problems.
• Stop Underage Drinking – a comprehensive portal of federal resources for information on underage drinking and ideas for combating this issue.
• Teen Drugged Driving: Parent, Coalition and Community Group Activity Guide (PDF) – This guide provides coalitions, prevention groups and parent organizations with: the facts on the dangers and extent of teen and young adult drugged driving; parent and community activities for effective prevention; resources to further assist in prevention activities.
• The National Criminal Justice Reference Service compilation of resources on impaired driving, including general information, enforcement, and prevention, in observation and recognition of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.

youth.gov