PENNSYLVANIA, USA — AAA estimates more than 100 million people will travel to holiday gatherings by car this Christmas weekend. While it’s a great time to get into the holiday spirit, it’s also a time to exercise caution.
PennDOT and UMPC officials say they see an increase in impaired-driver-related incidents during the holiday season and want people to make smart decisions.
"Nobody wants that empty seat at the table," PennDOT Spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler said. "You don't want to be looking at that seat and thinking 'that person really should be sitting there.'"
Schreffler says the agency sees a rise in alcohol and drug-impaired driving fatalities this time of year.
"Whether they're impaired on alcohol, or prescription drugs or illegal drugs, or even over-the-counter drugs," Schreffler said, "All of those kinds of things serve to impair your judgment, impair your vision, impair your ability to respond in the event of an incident."
Data from the National Safety Council shows the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities is usually higher around Christmas than the yearly average.
The latest numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show more than 1,000 impaired-driving fatalities last December.
Accidents caused by impaired drivers don't just impact families, but first responders as well.
"You're impacting EMS, you're impacting police fire, whoever might be called to the scene to either try and save your life, or at least clean up the aftermath," Schreffler said.
That includes emergency room staff, like Dr. Anthony Guarracino with UMPC Harrisburg.
"It's a significant problem during the holidays," Dr. Guarracinomore said. "[It costs] more resources, sicker patients, because they're often associated with severe injuries."
He says it has an impact on the people responding as well.
"It also impacts the psyche and the morale of the staff," Dr. Guarracino said. "You know, no one likes to see anybody get injured."
Dr. Guarracino says keeping yourself and others safe can come down to simple choices.
"Differ imbibing until later on in the day after you're finished you're driving, or stay where you're going," he said. "Get a taxi or an Uber to take you home.”
Schreffler adds you can arrange a safe ride home with someone who's completely sober.
"We hear ‘designated driver’ all the time," Schreffler said. "But it's not the person who's had the least to drink, it is the person who has had nothing to drink."
Last Christmas, 36% of traffic fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
Ahead of the busy weekend, Pennsylvania State Police announced it would conduct increased enforcement efforts over the weekend this year.
Troopers will be looking for those driving under the influence, as well as those driving aggressively, distracted, and speeding.