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Show 12 TOP TIMES Friday, May 25, 1984 HILL J) u LI r-- . IMWl .... v VI Vh 3h S t$ ' I'CrfiTs" - , I fc " , n iiiiiiiinmmwwiwiiviiimiM , J;:;J Belts not used Although picture of the interior of the car following the accident shows plenty of "room to live," there were two fatalities in this accident. The leading cause of death for By Ron Baertsch Safety Office - An alcohol-relate-d traffic accident can occur to anyone, regardless of age, sex, rank or monetary status. You may not even be the drinker, but you can still be the innocent victim. Just think of the many cars you meet each time you drive. Some may have stopped at an intersection waiting for you to pass. Others may be following you while you slow down for an upcoming red light. 1 year age grou 6-- 24 You have no way of knowing which of those vehicle operators are impaired and to what degree of alcohol impairment they may have. 4 If, however, you are in the year, old age in of an alcohol-relate- d involvement chances group, your traffic crash are far greater. Close to 5,000 teenagers are killed each year in 16-2- ' , drunk driving accidents. That means 14 teenagers die each day in these alcohol related accidents. Additionally, one out of every 330 children born today in the U.S. will die and four will sustain serious or crash before crippling injuries in an alcohol-relate- d of 24. reach the age they The U.S. Surgeon General has reported that life expectancy has improved over the past 75 years for every age group except one. The exception is the 4 year old American whose death rate is higher than it was 20 years ago. The leading single cause of death for this age group is drunk driving. Approximately 50 percent of all Air Force personnel are under 24 years old. 16-2- Booze and holiday driving don't mix, can be tragic By Joan Nebelcer Social Actions Now Alcohol and cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles do not mix. We often hear someone say that a "couple of drinks" makes a person a better driver. We know that is not true because alcohol slows our It also can get you a drunk ticket. driving Many families will be going on vacation, visiting friends or relatives, out for an afternoon drive or may be traveling to grave sites to pay tribute to loved ones. However, for some, this will come to a halt because of a drinking driver. These are the people who cause most of our vehicle accidents. Statistics reveal that more than 50 percent of all fatal highway accidents involving two or more cars are alcohol-relatereflexes. three-wheeler- s, that the weather is warming and the Memorial Day weekend is approaching, let us take this opportunity to focus our concerns on alcohol and driving. alcohol and driving- - d. f . Jmagine driving along laughing and joking, enjoying yourself, when you hear a loud crash. When ' you awake, you find yourself in a hospital and someone tells you that a member of your, family was killed in the accident. Now the heartache and despair begin. What should have been a time for fun and living has ended up in a tragedy, because you thought you could have a few drinks and drive. Do you know how the drinking driver is going to feel when he realizes what has happened? What is going to sud-denl- ; . y, happen to him? Loss of driver's license, stiff fine, jail or prison term? he Probably not. But most tragic or she will have to relive the accident ' over and over again. Will this happen to you? It could, if you choose to drink and drive. You could be the driver who gambled and lost by drinking; or you could be the victim. Either way, it would be sad. During the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, the nation's highways will be crowded with ' automobiles; many of them will be driven by someone who has been drinking. Are you going to be one of these people? Should you decide to drink, please do it responsibly and don't drive. And if you see someone driving and suspect they have been drinking, do your part as a responsible citizen and call the local authorities. Protect your family, friends and yourself. By making responsible decisions,, you won't put yourself in a position that is hazardous to your health or the health of others. Please take care of don't drink and drive. yourself . - |