You know not to ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve had too much to drink. Maybe you’re even always everyone’s favorite designated driver (after all, the DD is typically one of the most popular people at parties).  

But even if you never take a sip of alcohol, there can always be others on the road who are not as responsible. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), about 32 Americans are killed in drunk-driving crashes every day — that’s roughly one person every 45 minutes. In 2020, 11,654 people were killed nationwide in alcohol-impaired driving traffic fatalities… which is a 14% increase from 2019 (this, despite less people being on the roads in 2020). 

These tragedies are all preventable. Help protect yourself and anyone else who might be in your car with these important tips: 

Buckling up should feel like second nature each and every time you get into a car. Before you even turn the engine on, your seatbelt should be securely strapped. 

Just like people that’ve had too much to drink can walk erratically (like, say, when a cop pulls them over and asks them to walk a straight line), intoxicated drivers will be just as unable to maintain focus inside their car as they are outside of it. Stay as far away as possible if you see driving that concerns you, such as: 

• Weaving, swerving, drifting between lanes  

• Quick acceleration — or deceleration (or an even more bizarre combo of both) 

• A wide turn for no discernible reason 

• Responding slowly to traffic signals 

• Responding the completely wrong way to traffic signals 

• Driving on the wrong side of the road 

• Turning abruptly (or illegally) 

• Stopping for no discernible reason 

• Headlights off — even though it’s dark 

If you see strange behavior on the road, call the cops, and give them the person’s license plate. Law enforcement can then determine if the person is indeed driving under the influence… and if so, take them off the roads. 

Really, this is always good advice. Staying back several car lengths can also give you greater visibility of the entire road so you’ll be better equipped to spot erratic driving behaviors before it’s too late. 

You should always take extra care before heading into an intersection, looking both ways and yielding to oncoming traffic. Not only can you avoid collisions with drivers who simply aren’t paying attention… but drunken drivers are even more likely to disregard these (or really, any) traffic signals. 

Good things happen at night… but so do lots of car accidents. This can be especially true on major holidays or events that often involve heavy drinking (i.e., New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas)... along with any major game day or three-day vacay.  If possible, avoid the roads after dark. But keep in mind that crashes with drunk drivers can happen in the daytime too… particularly (again) on holidays, game days, and other events. 

Looking for more tips on how to stay safe during the holidays and big events? Check out:

• Winning Strategy Playbook: Drive Safe for Super Bowl Weekend (with tips that also work for the World Series, NBA Finals, March Madness and any other game day event)

• Halloween Safety Tips for Drivers  

Or read more year-long tips like:  

• Your Car Emergency Kit, Explained   

• 9 Surprising Hacks to Save Money at the Gas Station  

• 5 Ways to Avoid Distracted Driving   

• Break Up With Bad Driving Habits