Drive sober or get pulled over: ‘Tis the season to make safe travel plans

Published 11:05 am Monday, December 16, 2024

Nobody wants a sweet holiday evening to turn bitter, so call an Uber, take the MAX train, but be sure to find a safe way home if it was a day of drinking. 

Every holiday season, there is a rise in drunk drivers and deadly crashes, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. The combination of bad weather, increased travel and drinking at parties makes the roads more dangerous. 

“Driving is a privilege, not a right,” Chief Deputy of Law Enforcement Carey Kaer said in a statement. “We want everyone in our community to enjoy a safe and happy holiday season, and that means making responsible choices—especially when it comes to drinking and driving. The consequences of impaired driving are serious, lasting, and can affect your life forever.”

Planning ahead is one of the best ways to stay safe. 

Between 2018 and 2022, nearly 5,000 people died in crashes involving alcohol during December, the sheriff’s office said in a release. In December 2022, 1,062 people died because of alcohol-impaired driving. 

Here are a few tips from the sheriff’s office:

• Plan ahead if you plan to drink. Don’t wait until after drinking to figure out how to get home. 
• Before drinking, arrange a safe ride, which could be a designated driver, taxi, rideshare or something else. 
• If you can’t drive, hand your keys to someone sober.
• If a friend has been drinking, take their keys and help them find a safe way home. 

MCSO and several other law enforcement agencies will engage in Operation Sober Drive ’25 from Dec. 31 to Jan.5. The mission is focused on enhancing safe driving and preventing serious of fatal crashes by concentrating on the “Fatal-5” driving behaviors, which includes speed, occupant safety, lane usage, impaired driving and distracted driving.