Plan a sober ride this holiday season in Fremont County

This holiday season, Fremont County law enforcement is reminding all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. With the holiday festivities and parties taking place, it’s essential to plan a sober ride home before ever leaving for the event. This holiday, as you head out for a night of merrymaking, remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving.
 
“The holidays are a time for celebrations and making memories, and not a time to put yourself and others at risk,” said Sgt. John Zerga of the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. “Unfortunately, alcohol contributes to the number of impaired drivers on our roadways. Help us spread the message that if you feel buzzed, you are already drunk.”
 
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37,461 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2016, and 28 percent (10,497) of those fatalities occurred in crashes during which a driver had a blood-alcohol concentration over the legal limit of .08. The holidays prove to be extra dangerous to drivers as more people, drivers and pedestrians are out on the roads.
 
“We want to keep our roads safe this holiday season and help people understand that the only time they should get behind the wheel is when they are sober,” said Sergeant Zerga.  “You do not have to be feeling or acting drunk to be too impaired to drive.”
 
Drinking and driving should never be combined. It’s essential to plan a sober ride in advance if the holiday celebration includes alcohol. The alternative could change your life, not to mention the lives of your passengers, or of other pedestrians or drivers and passengers are nearby.
 
This holiday season, Fremont County law enforcement urges drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving.
 
Fremont County law enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Plan ahead. You know whether you’ll attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you.
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation, a cab or a ride-sharing service to arrive home safely.
• Download the Drive Sober Wyoming mobile app at http://www.wygcid.org/Smart_Phone_App.html
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call Fremont County law enforcement at 332-5611 or 856-7200.
• See someone who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and arrange to get them home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone—the person will thank you later.

Along with this enhanced enforcement effort, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is urging drivers to help keep Wyoming’s roadways safe by calling the Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (REDDI) hotline number at 1-800-442-9090 to report suspected drunk drivers. Callers should be prepared to provide the dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, its location, and direction of travel.
 
As of this release, there have been 121 traffic deaths in Wyoming in 2017, compared to 112 at this time last year.