Regardless of your heritage, Cinco de Mayo has become another six pack  tradition on the all-American party calendar. Whether you’re North or South of the Border, this year the holiday falls on a Monday and for some dedicated revelers that means an entire weekend celebration centered around the consumption of adult beverages.  That makes Cinco de Mayo a high-risk evening on our roadways and a dangerous night out for everyone due to Georgians who drive drunk.

“Let’s face it, just like St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween, about half the fatal crashes on our state’s roadways will be alcohol-related this Cinco de Mayo weekend,” says Director Bob Dallas of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). “Impaired adults behaving badly have turned the Cinco de Mayo celebration into another deadly drinking and driving weekend on Georgia’s social calendar.”

Since Cinco de Mayo has become such a big night-out for many young adults, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety is issuing this plea to party responsibly.  Whether meeting a few friends after work or traveling the holiday party circuit, friends should never let friends drive drunk.

For this Cinco de Mayo, real amigos should synchronize their plans.. (Let’s just call it “Cinco-nizing”).. That’s an easy way to remember to designate a sober driver in advance – Before the Cinco de Mayo festivities begin.  Because in Georgia, on average, a dozen people will die as a result of alcohol related crashes during the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2002 to 2006, an average of 43-percent of all highway fatalities both on May 5^th and overnight into the early morning of May 6^th were caused by impaired drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 percent and above.

What should you do to protect your family on the highway this Cinco de Mayo weekend? Your best protection against a deadly encounter with one of these drunk drivers.. Is a buckled safety belt.

If you have a Cinco de Mayo party, make these safety tips part of your guide to being a great host!

• Make sure your guests have Designated sober Drivers.
• Never serve alcohol to guests under 21-years-of-age.
• Serve plenty of food.. And include soft drinks, juice, and water.
• Stop serving alcohol before the party ends. Start serving coffee and dessert instead.
• Take car keys from anyone who even thinks about driving impaired.

In Georgia every year, one-of-every-three crash fatalities is alcohol-related.. and every one of those alcohol-related deaths could have been prevented.

If you attend a Cinco de Mayo party at your favorite restaurant or bar, plan an exit strategy before you leave for home:

• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give them your car keys.
• Volunteer to be the Designated Driver or offer to be one next time out.
• Before you party, program local cab company numbers in your cell phone so a safe ride is just a call away.
• Pace yourself.  Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast.  Take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks. Eat during the evening; load up on the chips and salsa and other appetizers, and then enjoy your other favorite Mexican foods during the evening;
• Never let a friend out of sight if you think they’re about to drive impaired.
  

Why so much planning for just a little partying?  Because every 39 minutes someone in the United States dies in an impaired driving-related crash.  That’s nearly 40 times a day!  In fact, NHTSA estimates that about three-in-every-ten people in the U.S. will be involved in an impaired driving crash at some point in their lives.

Remember, Georgia enforces DUI laws for those who drive drunk. The message is simple. You drive impaired, you WILL go to jail. It’s Operation Zero-Tolerance.. OVER THE LIMIT. UNDER ARREST!

“Be responsible about your own limits,” said GOHS Director Dallas. “Impaired driving is no accident – nor is it a victimless crime. GOHS supports Mothers Against Drunk Driving in their reminder that the perfect end to a perfect Cinco de Mayo celebration is a safe and sober ride home.” FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK!

The Georgia State Patrol reminds drivers in Georgia to report ALL impaired drivers with a free cell phone call to the nearest Georgia State Patrol post by calling:
Star G-S-P (*477). 

For more information on impaired driving prevention see www.madd.org , or www.StopImpairedDriving.org  , or visit us on the web at www.gahighwaysafety.org