Crime & Safety

Got a Buzz? You're Bait for the Fuzz

It doesn't take much to qualify you for a DUI.

"Buzz, Busted, Broke" is the name of this year's holiday campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which notes that this time of year brings a bad tradition among the good -- high drunk driving fatality rates.

The NHTSA warns that holiday parties are not an excuse for driving while impaired, even if all you think you have is a "buzz."

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As its public service announcements point out, buzzed driving can get you arrested and your insurance rates increased.

And, that's probably the best outcome if you're caught driving drunk.

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Statistics show that 830 people died nationwide in drunk driving crashes during last year's holiday season. For the entire year, crashes involving drunk drivers increased 4.6 percent, killing 10,322, according to the NHTSA. 

Buzzed driving can cost around $10,000 in fines, legal fees and increased insurance rates, it said.

The NHTSA advises that you designate a sober driver before going out.

As part of the campaign, the NHTSA asks that the public click its Holiday Buzzed Driving Thunderclap to share a message of support for safe driving on participants' Facebook or Twitter accounts on New Year’s Day 2014.


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