Have a Safe Thanksgiving: Don’t Drink and Drive Urges the Michigan Liquor Control Commission

Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest bar nights of the year, often involving heavy alcohol consumption as friends and families gather for the holiday. It is also one of the deadliest nights on Michigan roads.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) is urging everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving safely and responsibly by not binge drinking, not drinking and driving, and planning ahead to get a safe ride home.

“Never take the risk of drinking and driving, it is not only illegal, but it can also be deadly,” said MLCC Chair Kristin Beltzer. “Even one drink can impair driving, affecting judgment, alertness, and motor skills. Buzzed driving is drunk driving.”

The MLCC offers consumers these important reminders to help ensure a safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend: 

• If you plan to drink, plan a safe way home before you leave the house. Once you start drinking you likely won’t make good decisions
• If you will need a safe ride home, plan to hand the keys to a sober friend, use a rideshare service such as Lyft or Uber that can be booked through phone apps; use a taxi or public transportation.  
• Never feel pressured to drink or over-indulge with alcohol at social gatherings; it is okay to decline without providing a reason.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 to reach law enforcement.

The MLCC joins with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind Michiganders that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

The mission of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) is to make alcoholic beverages available for consumption while protecting the consumer and the general public through regulation of those involved in the sale and distribution of these alcohol beverage products.