New Apps Help Partygoers Ring in 2015 Responsibly, Summon Rides to Keep Kentucky Highways Safe

Many New Year’s parties and other seasonal events during the holidays include alcohol. That means that motorists must be remain extra alert for drunk drivers this time of year to avoid car accidents caused by impaired drivers. One irresponsible action could kill or cause injuries that last a lifetime.

The Kentucky State Police are stepping up patrols through the New Year’s holiday as part of a national campaign called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Although drunk driving fatalities decreased by 2.5 percent nationwide in 2013, more than 10,000 people died in crashes involving alcohol. Alcohol-related driving fatalities accounted for a third of all traffic fatalities nationwide.

In Kentucky, 167 people lost their lives in alcohol-related wrecks in 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There is never an acceptable excuse for drunk driving, especially in today’s technologically wired society. A number of smartphone apps have been developed to connect people with taxis and other transportation alternatives when you’ve had too much to drink.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just unveiled its new “SaferRide” mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or a friend and also identify their location so they can be picked up. Kentucky has a similar mobile app, www.DriveSoberKY.com, which provides people with phone numbers of local companies that could pick them up and ways to report a drunk driver to authorities. Both apps are available for download on Android and Apple devices.

In all 50 states, it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08. It doesn’t take much to reach that limit – even one drink can put you over the top.  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines one drink as half an ounce of alcohol, which equates to one 12 oz. beer, one 5 oz. glass of wine or one 1.5 ounce shot of distilled liquor.

It’s important to know that you can be arrested for being under the influence in Kentucky even if your BAC is beneath the legal limit. If your driving is erratic and an officer suspects that alcohol is the reason why, that’s enough to pull you off the roads.

If you’re leaving a party as a designated driver, consider yourself not only on the lookout for your friends, but for the safety of others on the roads. Contact law enforcement if you see signs of drunk driving, which include:

• Sudden changes in speed
• Tailgating
• Zig-zagging across the road
• Near-collisions with other cars, curbs or street signs
• Sudden braking
• Failure to stay in correct lane
• Driving on the shoulder
• Driving without headlights
• Lack of response when a traffic light changes
• Driving in the opposite direction
• Making abrupt or illegal turns

You should also contact authorities if you spot an open container of alcohol in a vehicle or see the driver taking sips.

In Kentucky, the fines for drunk driving and driving under the influence can include fines of up to $10,000, jail time, license suspension and mandatory alcohol assessments. But that’s nothing compared to the heartache that you will cause if you cause an accident that injures someone because you partied too hard.

The holidays are a time of joy to spend with friends and family. The Frank Jenkins Law Office encourages you to enjoy the holidays responsibly so that everyone can ring in 2015 safe and sound.