(Des Moines) On July 4th, America celebrates the birth of our nation. Around the holiday, sadly, we often see an increase in impaired driving crashes. From 2019 to 2023, there were 2,653 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the Fourth of July holiday period — 40% of the drivers killed were drunk.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District #4 Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy says, unfortunately, the July 4th holiday has become one of the deadliest holidays nationwide. McCreedy says nine fatalities were reported in Iowa over the four-day Fourth of July holiday one year ago, the most in over a decade.
Trooper McCreedy says this led to the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau marking July 3 through July 7 as a high saturation priority.
Trooper McCreedy says even a small amount of alcohol can impair you’re driving. For example, even a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can affect someone’s ability to perform two tasks at one time, and that affects their ability to drive safely.
Tips to Celebrate Safely:
- If you plan to drink, make a plan ahead of time for a sober ride home.
- Even if you’ve had only one drink, let someone who hasn’t been drinking take you home. A sober driver does not drink at all, not the one who’s had the least to drink.
- If you’re hosting a Fourth of July gathering, help the designated drivers out by ensuring there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available.
- Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, safely pull over and call 911.
- Always wear your seat belt.
Drunk driving isn’t the only risky behavior causing crashes on our roads; drug-impaired driving is an issue, too. Whether the drug is obtained legally or illegally, drug-impaired driving is dangerous and illegal in all states. Remember, If You Feel Different, You Drive differently.
