It’s that time of year again, when friends, families and co-workers gather for the annual Christmas party.
For most of us there is good reason to celebrate good will and to enjoy each other’s company, the true meaning of Christmas.
But despite the best efforts of the province and RCMP detachments around B.C., there are still far too many who drink alcohol and then get behind the wheel to drive themselves home.
Countless headlines have documented the gut-wrenching effects of drunk driving, not only on the lives of the drunken driver, but on the lives of the victim’s families who will forever associate Christmas with the loss of a loved one because someone thought it was OK to drink and drive.
Earlier this month, in a highly publicized Counter Attack blitz, RCMP from 97 B.C. detachments handed out 220 road-side prohibitions. That’s 220 too many.
According to ICBC, 56 people were killed in 2012 in impaired-driving related crashes. That’s at least 56 families living with tragedy, 56 families too many.
We believe driving safely is an individual responsibility, but at the same time, drinking typically occurs at social events, where others are fully aware that someone is drinking and shouldn’t be getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
It is our responsibility to make sure our friends, families and co-workers stay safe.
That way, we’ll have a better chance of getting home safely as well.
