Not One More Campaign Spotlighted During Impaired Driving Prevention Month

As families gather to celebrate the holiday season, hospital trauma teams and emergency departments behind the Not One More campaign are ramping up efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  December is also National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, intended to remind drivers to celebrate safely.

Over recent weeks, several local news outlets, including News 12 – Connecticut, NBC Connecticut, and WTNH, have spotlighted the campaign’s public service videos, the most recent of which feature Connecticut trauma professionals from Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare painting an intimate portrait of the devastating impacts of impaired driving.  In each of the videos, physicians, surgeons, and nurses emotionally address the audience.

“I hope I never have to crack open your chest, treat your burns, or tell your mom you didn’t make it,” and “I don’t want one more parent to lose a child, one more brother to lose his sister,” they recite somberly, imploring individuals who “have one more drink, one more gummy” to “please stay off the road.”

All 14 trauma centers and emergency departments across the state are involved in the campaign, unifying the voices of healthcare workers who witness the pain caused by preventable fatalities.  The number of deadly road crashes continues to tick up in Connecticut, exceeding 300 this year.  According to data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, someone is injured in a drunk driving incident every two minutes, and 13% of weekend and night drivers have marijuana in their system.