Safety groups put out ‘buzzed driving’ warning for holidays

BUTLER COUNTY — Even if it’s a little bit of alcohol you drink during the Thanksgiving holiday week, it may be too much to drive.

That’s the warning issued by Butler County Safe Communities and the Butler County OVI Task Force, which have partnered with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to put out the warning this holiday season.

“It’s essential to take some time to remember that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” the release states. “If your plans to celebrate include alcohol, plan for a sober driver. You may have heard of the popular trend during the Thanksgiving holiday, ‘Blackout Wednesday,’ which occurs on the eve of Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, this trend encourages the heavy consumption of alcohol, which is why we’re working hard to keep drunk drivers off the roads.”

It is illegal to drive with a Blood

Alcohol Content level of .08 or higher. That is about 4-5 average drinks.

In the State of Utah, the BAC legal limit is .05.

“We know friends and families will be especially excited to gather around the Thanksgiving table this year,” said Pete Reising, coordinator for Butler County Safe Communities, and the Butler County OVI Task Force. “Unfortunately, drunk driving is a real threat to our community, and that threat increases during holidays like Thanksgiving. We want our drivers to take Blackout Wednesday seriously,” he said.

“This is a dangerous trend. Driving under the influence is deadly and illegal, and no one should ever take that risk.”

The Butler County safety groups said that during the 2020 Thanksgiving season, Butler County saw six alcohol-related crashes with two of them including people being injured.