NEW YEAR'S EVE: TIME TO CELEBRATE AND DRIVE SAFELY

New Year's Eve is a time for celebration. Revelers ceremoniously usher out the old year and embrace the promise of a new year. There are many traditions for New Year's Eve: black-eyed peas, horn blowing and pot banging, midnight kisses, toasts and song, and of course, drink.

Society has changed much in the past decade in its attitudes toward drinking and driving. And those attitudes are reflected in diminishing numbers of drunk driving fatalities.

But it's not just drink that spells disaster on Missouri roadways during the New Year weekend. Bad weather, speeding and plain old carelessness are other factors.

All Missourians should practice smart driving habits this weekend. If you're drinking, don't drive. If you must travel over the holidays, remember to drive defensively to avoid those who are intoxicated on the roadways.

And don't forget to buckle up.

Of the nine people killed over the four-day New Year's Eve counting period last year, seven weren't wearing seat belts.

This year's counting period began Friday at 6 p.m. and runs through Monday at midnight.

Each year has its ups and downs in terms of fatalities. In 1992, 13 people died on Missouri roadways over New Year's.

Over the past five years, 56 people have died and 3,060 were injured in New Year's holiday traffic accidents. That's fewer than Memorial Day's 74 deaths in the same time period, and nearly even with Fourth of July statistics, with 57 fatalities.

Because the holiday falls on Sunday this year, many employees are also off Monday. And that means more holiday travelers on the roads. Another factor is the weather. Cold weather is expected to return this weekend, which could again impact the accident toll.

In 1993, speeding was a contributing factor in 21 percent of all New Year's fatal and personal injury accidents in Missouri. And alcohol or drugs contributed to about 20 percent of those accidents.

The highway patrol hopes New Year's is less deadly than Christmas when 10 people died and 136 people were injured in 250 traffic accidents. The patrol also made 91 DWI arrests during this year's holiday.

Cape Girardeau's Community Traffic Safety Program reminds revelers that fancy holiday drinks don't have to contain alcohol. Mock-tails can provide a tasty alternative for non-drinkers, designated drivers and for those drinkers who have reached their limit. Most restaurants and bars will also serve non-alcoholic beer and "virgin" drinks.

Drinkers should also remember that it's important to eat, too. High protein foods such as cheeses, meats, eggs and seafood may stay in the stomach longer and slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Time, not coffee, is the only way to sober an intoxicated person, warn authorities. Coffee will only awaken drunks, not sober them up.

How much is too much when it comes to alcohol? That answer depends on each drinker's tolerance and size. But experts say there's a big difference between legally drunk and impaired. It may take only a few drinks for a driver to become impaired to the point of making poor choices on the roadways.

Typically, law enforcement authorities are out in force over the holidays. But Cape Girardeau Police report that driving while intoxicated arrests don't increase significantly on New Year's Eve. That's no doubt due to the heightened awareness about the destructiveness and penalties associated with DWI, and the push for designated drivers.

The start of a new year is a time to celebrate. With safe driving habits, those good feelings can continue well into 1995.

The Southeast Missourian wishes you a safe and happy New Year.