With the holiday season here, and Montanans preparing for festivities with family and friends, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind all drivers that it’s dangerous to drive after drinking. You have to choose your role before drinking begins: will you drink or will you drive? Remember, even if you only have a little bit to drink and think you’re “okay to drive,” you could still be over the legal limit, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin explained the slogan: “A lot of folks think they know their own limits. They think that if they’re just a little ‘buzzed,’ then they’re still good to drive.” But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Captain Steve Crawford of the Bozeman Police Department added, “Not only does alcohol impair your ability to drive, it impairs your ability to assess whether you are able to drive.  Designate a sober driver before you drink.”

Gallatin County drivers, are asked to remember these tips to avoid a DUI and keep our roads safe:

Even one drink can impair your judgment and reaction time and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk or having a crash.
If you will be drinking, plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
When you know you’ll be drinking, leave your keys at home or give them to someone else.
If you have been drinking, do not drive—even a short distance. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public.

Remember, it is never okay to drive after drinking. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

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