National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month December 2025
December hits different. Parties, late nights, and long drives. But one reckless move behind the wheel can end everything—fast. This page is your no-fluff guide to staying alive, staying free, and keeping your crew safe.
Numbers that should stop you in your tracks
These aren’t just stats—they’re people whose stories ended on the road. The federal data behind December’s crackdown is brutal for a reason.
What the U.S. government needs you to know
This isn’t just parent energy—it’s straight from federal agencies like NHTSA, SAMHSA, NIDA, and CDC, whose job is literally to keep you alive.
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) leads national campaigns like “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.” Their whole message? Impaired is impaired—no excuses.
Struggling with alcohol, weed, pills, or other substances? SAMHSA’s helpline gives you free, confidential support 24/7—no judgment, no public record, just help.
NIDA explains exactly how weed, pills, and other drugs mess with your reaction time, focus, and decision-making—even when you think you’re “fine.”
The CDC’s impaired driving hub lays out the data, state laws, and proven strategies to cut deaths on the road. It’s like a receipts page for why this month matters.
It’s not just about being “drunk”
Federal agencies are crystal clear: if something changes how you think, react, or move, you have no business driving. It’s that simple.
Practical prevention strategies that actually work
This isn’t about vibes—it’s about systems. Build these into your plans, and suddenly staying safe becomes the default, not the exception.
Youth programs that actually speak your language
Peer-to-peer hits different. When safety messages come from people your age—not just parents, teachers, or cops—they land harder.
What to expect on the roads this month
Federal and local agencies go full send in December—because history shows this is when crashes, arrests, and fatalities spike. Here’s what’s happening while you’re out.
NHTSA’s national campaigns run hard through the holidays. Behind the ads are increased patrols, sobriety checkpoints, and enhanced focus on impaired driving, especially late nights and weekends.
- More police units on highways and near nightlife areas.
- Random sobriety checkpoints with zero tolerance for impaired driving.
- Public awareness blasts on social, TV, and streaming to remind you—cops are looking for impaired drivers.
Translation: if you drive impaired, odds are much higher you will get caught. Best move? Don’t give them a reason to stop you in the first place.
Make smart the default, not the exception
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need a system that makes the safe choice the easy choice, every time things get chaotic.
MADD: The parents who refused to stay quiet
Mothers Against Drunk Driving started with one mom, one daughter, and one repeat drunk driver. Today, they’re a national force backing victims and pushing prevention.
Founded in 1981 after 13-year-old Cari Lightner was killed by a repeat drunk driver, MADD has spent decades changing laws, supporting victims, and making impaired driving socially unacceptable.
- Helped raise the minimum drinking age to 21 nationwide.
- Pushed for tougher DUI laws, ignition interlocks, and license penalties.
- Runs the Project Red Ribbon campaign—tying a ribbon on your car to show you’re committed to sober driving.
- Offers support services, victim advocacy, and youth programs.
Key resources & helplines you should keep handy
Screenshot this section. Drop it in your group chat. You might not need it today, but someone you love might need it tomorrow.
These links and numbers are here for you, your friends, and your family—no matter how heavy things feel right now.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with alcohol, drugs, or mental health, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Help is one call away.
Call 1-800-662-4357 (SAMHSA)Free • Confidential • 24/7 • Available in English & Spanish.
