Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader says that his office is getting ready for the upcoming New Year Holiday weekend.  This year, New Year’s Eve will fall on Friday.  The holiday is one of the most deadly times of year on Georgia’s roadways.

Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.  While most people recognize the dangers of drunk drive, some choose to ignore it.

Sheriff Schrader told WZQZ News recently that one of the biggest problems, especially around the holidays, is that people don’t think they have had enough alcohol to impair their judgement and still get behind the wheel.  “Buzzed driving is drunk driving”, Sheriff Schrader said.  “We want to remind people that if you plan to make alcohol part of your holiday celebration, you make sure you have a designated driver.”

One recent study found that the blame for fatal accidents often fell on drivers who were “minimally buzzed.” The term “minimally buzzed” includes drivers who had a BAC of .01, which is well within the legal limit.

So remember, if you plant to drink alcohol to ring in the New Year – make plans for someone else to drive.