December 30th, 2017 by WCBC Radio

As Marylanders prepare for New Year’s celebrations, AAA Mid-Atlantic is reminding drivers and passengers alike of the dangers on the roads this New Year’s Day, which consistently ranks among the year’s deadliest days for alcohol-related traffic fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,497 people died in drunk driving crashes in 2016, which is an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 50 minutes.  Every year more than 160 lives are lost on Maryland roads in crashes involving impaired drivers and thousands more are injured, according to the Maryland Highway Safety office.  December is a particularly dangerous month for impaired driver crashes across the country, according to NHTSA. Over the past five years, an average of 300 people died in drunk-driving crashes nationwide during the Christmas through New Year’s holiday period. In December 2016 alone, 781 people lost their lives in drunk-driving crashes.