The holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's is one of the deadliest and most dangerous times of the year due to an increase in impaired driving.

In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1,210 people across America, just during the month of December 2004, were killed in highway crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .01 or higher. Of those, 1,054 had an illegal BAC level of .08 or above.

That's why the Substance Abuse Action Council of Central Connecticut is joining with other National, State and local highway safety and law enforcement officials to encourage everyone to "Give the Gift of a Lift" this holiday season, helping to make sure no one gets behind the wheel while impaired.

With all of the office and holiday parties that will take place during this holiday season, this is a critically important time of year to make sure you designate a sober driver before the parties begin and to always remember that "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."

If you are organizing or hosting a party this month and plan on serving alcoholic beverages, remind your guests to designate their sober driver in advance and provide a variety of non-alcoholic beverages to those designated drivers. Then at the end of the party, make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver or make arrangements to get them home safely. Other ways to avoid tragedy are:

• If you'e impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
• Always buckle up. It' your best defense against an impaired driver.
• Spend the night where the activity is being held and sleep it off.

Impaired driving is no accident nor is it a victimless crime. It is one of America's deadliest problems. In 2004, over 15,000 people died in alcohol-related crashes involving a driver or a motorcycle operator with a BAC level of .01 or higher. Of those, nearly 13, 000 had an illegal BAC level of .08 or above.

Since 1981, every President of the United States has demonstrated the commitment to preventing impaired driving by proclaiming December as National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month.

Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is clearly not worth the risk. The consequences can be deadly. So please remember to "Give the Gift of a Lift" this holiday season because "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."