WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP DWI:

1.    Know Thyself - become aware of your own alcohol tolerance and how many drinks you require before you    
       are a dangerous driver and/or for your BAC (blood alcohol content) to be over the legal limit.  Limit 
       your number of drinks per hour; drinking slowly helps.

2.    When drinking with friends, try to convince the friend who has had too much to drink to ride home with you
        or to call a taxi. 

3.    Promote the designated-driver concept - one licensed driver in a group refrains from drinking in order to 
       ensure the entire group's safe drive home.

4.    When entertaining, consider the following suggestions:
            a.    offer non-alcoholic beverages when serving alcoholic drinks.
            b.    stop serving alcohol after the meal in order to allow non-alcohol time to accrue before people leave.
            c.    be aware of anyone drinking too much and try to convince such a person not to drive home; take a 
                   taxi; spend the night; stay until sober;
            d.    refrain from "pushing" drinks on your guests and always provide food.

5.    teach children about responsible drinking both with information and by example.

6.    Consider contracting with your teenager to call home for a ride if a sober ride is unavailable.  Agree
       to "no questions asker" at the time.

7.    Provide money for a cab for teenagers who don't have a sober ride home.  Again, "no questions asked."

8.    Use safety belts for every trip and ask passengers to do the same; half of the fatalities can be avoided by their 
       use.

9.    Report suspicious driving to police - erratic braking, weaving, straying off road, etc.

10.  Write letters to your local newspaper so the editorial staff will know this is an issue of great public concern.

11.   Become active in the local citizen action group such as SADD, MADD, RID, etc.

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08/22/06