BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
As party-goers celebrate Cinco de Mayo with sombreros, mariachi music and authentic cuisine, many will also indulge with their favorite margarita or tequila, and then, unfortunately, choose to get behind the wheel. That's why this year your Total Force Safety Offices and Beale Airmen Against Drunk Driving are reminding you to plan ahead this Cinco de Mayo and to never drink and drive.
"With Cinco de Mayo celebrations on the rise across the country, alcohol-impaired crashes, injuries and fatalities will also rise," said Lt Col Harding, 940th Wing Chief of Safety. "But buzzed driving is drunk driving, and is never safe or acceptable. So our Beale AFB Airmen should plan ahead now to avoid the temptation during the Cinco de Mayo weekend."
During the 2011 Cinco de Mayo holiday alone, 35 percent of motor vehicle fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 and above. A disturbing 80 percent of the alcohol impaired fatalities involved a driver or motorcycle operator with nearly twice the legal limit of 0.15, and a recent analysis of this year's Beale AFB DUI's revealed that the average BAC was the exactly the same, 0.15.
Lt Col Harding said that people can still enjoy the holiday and celebrations without putting their lives or the lives of other innocent victims at risk.
"When people start celebrating, they often aren't thinking of how they will get home from the restaurant or a friend's house, and they don't realize how much they've had to drink and make a bad choice that ends in tragic consequences," said Lt Col Harding. "That's why we are reminding folks to play it safe and plan ahead."
Statistics show 31 percent of traffic fatalities in 2011 involved an impaired driver. But death or injury are not the only consequences from impaired driving. When caught and arrested, violators often face jail time, loss of their driver's license and it could cost up to $10,000 in legal fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and Airmen then face additional UCMJ and career consequences.
"You should always designate a sober driver before the party begins," said Lt Col Harding "But, if you don't plan ahead, and you've been drinking, please do not get behind the wheel. You can call a friend or cab, use public transportation, or use call the B.A.A.D.D line at (530) 300-8315.