New Year’s parties are about to get under way, and it is a good time to again remember not to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking or using any impairing substance at one of those events.

National statistics offer a sobering look at the dangers of driving while impaired. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 12,429 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2023, the latest year for which statistics are available. And, NHTSA adds, about one third of traffic fatalities involve drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Breaking those numbers down even more, NHTSA reports there were 298 drunk-driving deaths during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday periods in 2023, 1,038 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes in December 2023. NHTSA adds 4,931 lives were lost in December drunk-driving crashes in the period that ran from 2019 to 2023.

In West Virginia, there were 58 deaths in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of at least 0.08 and 42 deaths in crashes where the driver’s BAC was 0.15 or higher.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that as of Dec. 21, troopers had recorded 14,733 OVI arrests this year.

As of Dec. 21, the patrol reported it had made 175 OVI arrests in Jefferson County this year. That’s down from the 191 recorded last year.

The OSHP adds that since 2020, it has recorded 94,812 OVI arrests, with 30 percent of those involving repeat offenders.

And, according to the NHTSA, there were 455 people killed in Ohio during 2023 in crashes involving drivers with a blood-alcohol content of at least 0.08 and 31139 deaths in crashes where the driver’s BAC was 0.15 or higher. In Pennsylvania, there were 321 deaths in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of at least 0.08 and 216 deaths in crashes where the driver’s BAC was 0.15 or higher.

Law enforcement agencies will be out in full force during the New Year’s holiday period to watch for those drivers who ignore the message that drinking and driving don’t mix.

NHTSA once again offers these reminders of what it means to be responsible:

• If you are drinking, do not drive.

• If you are planning to use marijuana or any impairing drug, do not drive. Whether the drug is legally obtained or not, drug-impaired driving poses a threat to everyone on the road. Even though recreational marijuana can be obtained at dispensaries in Ohio, its use still can affect how you behave behind the wheel.

• Plan a safe ride home before any party begins, and choose a friend as a designated driver.

• If someone you know has been drinking or using any impairing drug, do not let that person get behind the wheel — take their keys and arrange a safe ride home.

• If you are hosting a party where alcohol or any impairing substance will be available, make sure everyone leaves with a sober driver.

• Always wear your seatbelt.

Alcohol and marijuana can impair the ability of everyone to drive. They can slow reaction time and can lead to drivers making poor decisions. There are serious or fatal accidents every weekend in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania involving impaired drivers. Innocent family members can be injured or killed because someone was behind the wheel under the influence.

Think seriously about the consequences of driving while impaired, and make a New Year’s resolution to not drive under the influence in 2026.