More than 11,000 alcohol-related crashes were reported last year across North Carolina. As a result, 394 people were killed, and 8,791 people were injured. These numbers are a harsh reminder that drinking and driving is a major problem in our state.
Dr. Osi Udekwu sees the aftermath of impaired driving all the time. Dr. Udekwu is a trauma surgeon at WakeMed Health & Hospitals Raleigh Campus. He is often called on to save the victims of impaired driving crashes. Sometimes, though, the damage is too severe, and he must relay to families the heartbreaking news that their loved one did not make it.
Dr. Udekwu, WakeMed, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and the N.C. Department of Transportation have joined together to create a public service announcement urging drivers to remember the risks, and never drink and drive. Watch as he shares his powerful message by clicking on the video below.
You can also see Dr. Udekwu on WRAL-TV on 5:30 p.m. Dec. 30. He will encourage viewers to view the PSA, which NCDOT produced, and urge them to consider the serious consequences of drinking and driving when ringing in the New Year.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, but please remember to celebrate responsibly. Never get behind the wheel if you have been drinking and never ride with anyone who is impaired.
As Dr. Udekwu says in the video, “It just doesn’t make any sense.”