With many residents celebrating the new year tonight, the Iowa DoT wants to remind commuters to drive sober and be mindful of their surroundings. CThose celebrating should designate a sober driver, call a taxi, or use a ride share service to protect yourself and others on the road if you plan on consuming alcohol.

New Year’s Eve also marks the end of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. The Iowa Department of Transportation reports 2,788 drug/alcohol-related crashes occurred in 2022 leading to 115 fatalities. In 2022, 35% of Iowa’s total fatal crashes involved an impaired driver.