DECEMBER: Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention

12/01/2019

Our goal for December is to educate and inform about drunk and drugged driving prevention. Every day, lives are impacted and lost due to alcohol, drugs and distracted driving. In 2018, impaired driving took more than 10,000 lives in the United States. That means 30 people per day, or roughly one person every 48 minutes, is killed due to impaired driving. Each year December is recognized as National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

Why National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month is Important

Traffic-related deaths spike between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day

With all the drinking during the holiday season, it's not a stretch to see why so many people are dying on the roads. Consider this dreadful statistic: As James just said, Over 30 people are killed each day by an alcohol-impaired driver and those numbers climb at the end of the year. Additionally, in 68 percent of traffic fatalities involving a drunk driver, there was a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.15 or higher. The legal limit is 0.08.

Drugs also contribute to traffic deaths

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has expanded its mission statement to include drug-impaired driving. Mixing alcohol with opioids may increase a driver's sedation, which can lead to serious consequences on the road. In 2017, researchers at Columbia University reported a seven-fold jump (since 1995) in the number of drivers killed while operating a vehicle under the influence of prescription drugs.

Pedestrian deaths increase

It's especially true on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays when holiday parties are in full swing and the bars are packed. So the fatality risk goes both ways. It's more likely that an alcohol- or drug-impaired driver will accidentally kill either themselves, their passengers, or a pedestrian - or that an intoxicated pedestrian will walk into the path of an innocent driver.

On December 20, 2019, the Junior and Senior classes joined peer team to participate in a workshop focused on drunk, drugged, and distracted driving prevention.

Schedule for the Day

12:55-1:05 - Introduction from Peer Team members

1:05-1:40- Seniors will be in the auditorium for the panel, Juniors completing workshops

-Half of the Juniors: 1:05-1:20 with Jackie, other half drunk goggles

-Switch - 1:25-1:40

1:40- 2:20- Juniors will be in the auditorium for the panel, Seniors completing workshops

-Half of the Seniors: 1:40-2:00

2:00-2:20

2:20- Everyone back in the auditorium for closing and thank you

As part of the day we had a panel in the auditorium. These are the panel members.

Susan Cross has lived and worked in Berkshire County, all of her life, which is a VERY long time! She graduated from St. Joseph's High School; Williams College with a degree in Psychology; and Antioch New England where she received a Master's Degree in Organizational Management. She works within the Beacon Recovery Community Center, a program of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. Alcohol and substance misuse has touched her life in far too many ways.

Chief of Police Tim Sorrell

1984 Graduate of Lenox Memorial High School
United States Marine Corps Veteran, having served as a Military Policeman
Appointed a Lanesborough Police Officer in December of 1987
Graduated from the MPTC Foxborough Police Academy in April of 1988
Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Berkshire Community College
Has held the following positions in the Lanesborough Police Department:

Patrolman
Senior Officer
Sergeant
Investigator
Chief of Police

Robert Kinzer is a founding partner at the Berkshire County law firm Barry & Kinzer, LLP. Mr. Kinzer practices criminal defense, civil litigation, contract/business law, and family and probate law. Robert Kinzer was formally with the Berkshire District Attorney's Office for 22 years. When he retired in January 2019, he was the Second Assistant District Attorney for Berkshire County. Mr. Kinzer previously served as the District Court Coordinator where he supervised prosecutors in the County's five District Courts. Mr. Kinzer also prosecuted felony crimes including murder, narcotics offenses, and sexual assaults in the Superior Court. He headed the Computer Crimes division where he specialized in computer and high-tech crimes. Over the past 15 years, Mr. Kinzer has conducted presentations, trainings and seminars throughout Berkshire County and Massachusetts about internet safety, social media security, and bullying. Mr. Kinzer graduated from Stetson University with a BA in political science and received his JD from Western New England University School of Law. In 2006 he was named one of the state's fifteen Up and Coming Lawyers by The Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly. Mr. Kinzer also received the 2006 Spotlight Award from the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association. Mr. Kinzer graduated from Stetson University with a BA in political science and received his JD from Western New England University School of Law. In 2006 he was named one of the state's fifteen Up and Coming Lawyers by The Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly. Mr. Kinzer also received the 2006 Spotlight Award from the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

Jonathan Igoe came to Williamstown in 2003 to serve as the Executive Director of the Williamstown Youth Center. For the past fourteen years he has been the Director at Overland. Jonathan is also a soccer coach and player, a cyclist and a runner. He has been a speaker at the NOLS Risk Management National Conference and is here today on behalf of Text Less Live More, a national organization dedicated to ending distracted driving.

Officer Shuan Williams has worked 20 years full-time at the Williamstown Police Department. He has been a fifteen year member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force and Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force. He is certified in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and ARIDE, which stands for Advanced Roadside Impaired Driver Enforcement. He is responsible for Williamstown's breath test machine (for OUI's).

Workshops: Amy Smith, our Youth Substance Abuse Educator from the Breen Center drunk goggles and a small seminar discussion with Jackie and Lily Wells, where they will share the impact impaired driving has played in their lives.