Hope Police Department wants to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. Before traveling to holiday festivities or seasonal vacations, make sure you plan for a sober ride home before enjoying an alcoholic beverage. This holiday season, and every day, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

“It’s critical that drivers understand the significance of sober driving, and the tragic consequences of driving drunk. With more drivers on the roads during this busy time of year, it’s more important than ever for us to stress the importance of safe driving habits,” said Assistant Chief Kim Tomlin. “We know everyone is rushing around, finishing those last-minute errands and attending holiday gatherings. Before you ever head out to the festivities, make sure you plan a sober ride home, because driving drunk should never be an option. Even one drink is one drink too many if you’re the driver.

According to NHTSA, 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of traffic crash fatalities. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 — one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019.

This holiday season, Hope Police Department urge drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving. Doing so could change your life, not to mention the lives of your passengers, of pedestrians, or of other drivers and passengers nearby.

If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. Stay hydrated with water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Support other designated drivers, too. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets. Take the role of designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.

Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.