LETTERS: DRINKING AND DRIVING

To the editor:

The happy holidays are here, and people will drink and drive. Please practice defensive driving and always buckle your seat belts.

Statistically there is a 25 percent greater chance of being killed when ejected from a vehicle. In the United States every year over 350,000 people receive traumatic brain injuries from doing a windshield taste test. I'm aware that seat-belt usage isn't required by law inside pickups. However, windshields in pickups don't taste any different than a car.

In closing, I'm not saying don't have a joyful and happy holiday season. Please use your common sense and appoint a designated driver before you start celebrating and always buckle up. If you don't appoint a designated driver, please make sure you've signed your donor card so you can make sure this is a happy holiday season for someone.

I am an unrestrained DWI driver and traumatic brain-injury survivor.

JEFFERY K. HARMS

Cape Girardeau