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, 13,524 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2022. And, NHTSA adds, 32 percent of traffic fatalities involve drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Breaking those numbers down even more, NHTSA reports there were 281 drunk-driving deaths during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday periods in 2022.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that as of Dec. 15, troopers had recorded 14,062 OVI arrests this year, which is about 500 fewer than the 14,545 OVI arrests it had reported during the same period in 2023.

As of Dec. 15, the patrol reported it had made 191 OVI arrests in Jefferson County this year. That’s down from the 212 recorded last year. There have been 167 OVI arrests reported in Columbiana County (down from 173 in 2023) 170 in Belmont County (down from 173 in 2023), 31 in Harrison County (up from 24 in 2023) and 6 in Carroll County (down from 17 in 2023.)

And, according to the NHTSA, there were 471 people killed in Ohio during 2022 in crashes involving drivers with a blood-alcohol content of at least 0.08 and 339 deaths in crashes where the driver’s BAC was 0.15 or higher.

In Pennsylvania, there were 338 deaths in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of at least 0.08 and 225 deaths in crashes where the driver’s BAC was 0.15 or higher. In West Virginia, there were 60 deaths in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of at least 0.08 and 43 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 dispenaries in Ohio, its use still can effect 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 2025.