Alcohol-impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime in the U.S. On average someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes. An estimated three of every ten. Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash at some time in their lives. Each year, approximately half a million people are injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured approximately every minute.*
And most of us have let a person who is impaired get behind the wheels of a car to drive. Some of us have even gotten in the vehicle with them — thinking all the time, "They really shouldn't be driving!". Yet, way too often, we don't fulfill the urge we have to intervene and prevent this person from endangering themselves, us and others.
Here are 11 valuable tips from StepUp! — a bystander intervention program from the University of Arizona — on what to do with an impaired friend, family member, or stranger:
- Plan ahead — set a limit BEFORE going out.
- Encourage them to stop drinking (or take their drink away) when they've had enough.
- Stay with them to ensure they will be all right.
- Remove them from the situation.
- Get them to consume non-alcoholic beverages first.
- Get them to alternate between non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
- Get them to sip rather than gulp if they are drinking alcohol.
- Have them consume food while drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Tell them not to drink while taking medication.
- Tell them to avoid taking aspirin if they have been drinking. (DO NOT take Tylenol or other Acetaminophen medication for a hangover; liver damage may result!)
- Never discuss problematic behavior when the person is under the influence.
This is one of the most critical ways we can all be a hero — for the person impaired and anyone else their impairment may impact.
*The statistics used in this post were obtained from MADD — the full document can be downloaded here.
