Iowans who plan to celebrate the upcoming holiday with alcohol are being told to plan ahead.
Patrick Hoye, chief of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says Iowa roadways are already more congested over the busy holiday period, but adding intoxicated drivers to the mix ramps up the danger.
Most fatal crashes in Iowa over the Fourth of July period, historically, have involved alcohol. “In Iowa, there were five fatalities in 2015, with three of those being alcohol related, and five fatalities in 2016 in which four were alcohol related,” Hoye said. These days, according to Hoye, it’s easier than ever to avoid driving drunk.
“There’s alternate transportation – whether it be designated drivers, calling a friend, cabs and taxis, Uber, Lyft…there are just so many way to prevent you from having to drink and drive,” Hoye said. The legal limit in Iowa for driving drunk is a blood alcohol content (BAC) .08.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows nationally over the 2015 Fourth of July holiday period (6 p.m. July 2 – 6:00 a.m. July 6), 146 people were killed in crashes involving at least one motorist with a BAC of .08 or higher.