Fourth of July weekend is nearly upon us, and while for most of us it’s a time of backyard barbecues with the worst likely injury to be caused by over eating or too much sun, for others it’s a time when driving drunk is a real risk. To that end, GEICO has teamed up with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to offer the following safety tips for your holiday:
Save your text messages for a time when you’re not driving.
Make sure everyone in the car, backseat passengers too, are wearing safety belts.
Pay attention to how drivers around you are behaving.
Use your cell phone for emergency situations only; pull over to a safe place to use it.
Always designate a non-drinking driver before you begin your holiday celebrations.
Drinking and driving remains one of America’s deadliest problems. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2008, nearly 500 people were killed in crashes during the 4th of July holidays with 43 percent of them involving a driver above the legal alcohol limit.
Stay safe, and stay off the road if you drink.