HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - Connecticut trauma medical professionals and transportation officials are urging residents to take a pledge to not drive impaired this holiday season with the Not One More campaign.
In partnership between Hartford Hospital, the State Department of Transportation and trauma centers across the state, the Not One More campaign encourages drivers to sign an online pledge that they will not drive under the influence.
The campaign is an effort to prevent impaired driving accidents. With more people expected to reunite for the holidays this year, officials are pushing for people to drive safely.
Hartford HealthCare's Vice President for Behavioral Health Network Operations Dr. James O'Dea explained that within 10 minutes of having one alcoholic drink, "the electric impulses and the way that the chemicals work in our brain change dramatically."
Around 48% of all driving fatalities are alcohol-related in Connecticut, Hartford HealthCare officials said.
According to Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, the pledge covers more than just drinking and driving.
Given the legalization of recreational marijuana in Connecticut this year, Eucalitto stressed the importance of not driving high, especially among young people.
"What we're hearing from the youth that we're talking to is that, 'I drive better when I'm high,' and that can't be further from the truth. We need to spread that message," Eucalitto said.
The Department of Transportation funds the campaign with $550,000 from the Highway Safety Grant to help support the effort.
Larry Hermann with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) shared the story of how his son Kyle died in 2018 after a woman high off medical marijuana laced with PCP crashed into his vehicle.
Hermann advocates for the pledge in hopes of keeping other families from having an empty seat at the dinner table during the holidays.
"Remember: 28 families today across the United State are going to get a phone call or a knock at their door telling them that their loved one was killed. That comes to 10,000 lives a year that are 100% preventable," Hermann said.
The campaign features similar stories from healthcare professionals that treat victims of impaired driving to highlight the reasons why a driver should avoid having that one more drink or smoke.
Other resources are also available including a blood alcohol content calculator and information about substance abuse support.
The pledge and all the additional resources can be found at notonemore.org.