December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

click here to listen to Ariel King Lovett
Arial King Lovett is Development Director at  Community Recovery Resources who says  this is also a time of year when young people are more likely to drink or use drugs.
click here to listen to Ariel King Lovett

New and young drivers are the most at risk for crashes on the roads and are at risk for the most harmful effects of drug use.  King Lovett says the good news is that  recent survey results show fewer Nevada County youth are drinking or using drugs and driving.*
click here to listen to Ariel King Lovett
King Lovett says it was 15 percent this year  as opposed to 35 percent in prior years, so that’s a significant decrease in the number of Nevada County young people who are drinking and driving or riding with someone who had been.

According to  Grass Valley CHP Officer Greg Tassone, “Some local data is encouraging with the  number of local CHP arrests for DUI-related crimes trending downward from 2012 to present.”
-Drugs other than alcohol are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths.
-In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impared driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
-At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people.