To everyone who is celebrating Christmas today, I hope it is a happy and safe one. Party it up and get trashed, but please don’t get behind the wheel; call a friend, call a cab.

In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes—an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities. Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater).

In 2006, 63 percent of eighth graders reported that alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get. This is down from 75 percent a decade earlier.

About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

By ages 19 and 20, 70 percent of all drinkers engage in heavy drinking, suggesting that the majority of young people are at great risk of making poor decisions that have significant long-term consequences.

The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is more than 3 times higher at night than during the day (59 percent vs. 18 percent). For all crashes, the alcohol involvement rate is 5 times higher at night (16 percent vs. 3 percent).

Statistics provided by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

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