Thursday, December 11, 2014

2014 HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2014


YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, I’M TELLING YOU WHY:
Stay Off the Naughty List – Designate a Driver

Southern Maryland- This time of year, with all the holiday parties and festive occasions, many partygoers will be drinking. If you’re celebrating with alcohol this holiday season, local law enforcement agencies throughout southern Maryland share the same message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

And local sales establishments agree it’s time for all drivers to get the message that drunk driving isn’t a victimless crime. You could kill yourself, someone else, or get a DUI and go to jail.

On Wednesday, December 10, 2014 just a few of the 100’s of licensees came together with traffic safety partners and advocates, brewers, and distributors throughout Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s County to promote and reinforce the use of designated drivers this holiday season. Everyone agreed the safest approach is to only drive sober. If you plan on drinking at a holiday party, bar, or restaurant, let someone else do the driving – a sober friend, a taxi or public transportation.

Representatives from the following sales establishments were in attendance: Mully’s Brewery, ABD Liquors, Stoney’s Prince Frederick, Boston’s Pizza, The Liquor Store, Colonial Liquors, Big B Liquors, Race-n-In, and ABC Liquors. Partners in traffic safety included College of Southern Maryland – Safe Communities, Liquor Control Board and Alcohol Beverage Board Representatives, Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, County Health Departments, Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, Community Alcohol Coalition, State Highway Administration, Maryland State Police, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Natural Resources Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, La Plata Police Department, Bob Hall Distributing, and Guy Distributing.

In a concerted effort to promote designated drivers, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office has partnered with sales establishments, wineries, brewers, and distributors to distribute wine/liquor bags with the message “Designate a Sober Driver”.

In addition to reminding all drivers to drive sober, community partners are calling on everyone to be alert. If you see a drunk driver on the road, call the police right away—you could save a life. If someone you know is about to drive after drinking, take their keys and help them get home safely. And if you are making arrangements to celebrate, include plans for a safe, sober ride before heading out.

Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office extends great appreciation to Bob Hall Distributing and Guy Distributing for taking on the task of delivering the Designated Driver bags to licensees in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s County.


Every year, more than 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers in America. In 2013, 152 people were killed and 2,351 were injured in impaired driving crashes in Maryland. One life lost is one too many. The designated driver program is part of Maryland’s Toward Zero Deaths (www.towardzerodeathsmd.com) goal of zero lives lost in motor vehicle crashes.