Party Tonight, but Don't Get Behind the Wheel

Dec. 31, 2006 — -- There's a reason why police officers and law enforcement officials call New Year's Eve amateur night.

People are in a partying mood and don't keep track of how much is too much for getting behind the wheel. So this weekend, in an effort to keep roads and revelers safe, sobriety checkpoints have been set up across the country.

Drunk driving statistics are startling. Young men between the ages of 21 and 34 are most likely to drink and drive.

"A drunk driver kills an American every 31 minutes. That's why law enforcement is out there," said Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "Drunk driving is one of the leading threats of the American family, and it is particularly tough on the holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year's."

Frank Bingham knows firsthand the horror of what a drunk driver can do. Just two weeks before Thanksgiving, Frank, his wife Rebecca and their two small children were driving to a favorite bakery in downtown Denver, Colo., when a truck struck them.

"This truck barreled down the street, through a red light and just mowed us down," Bingham said. "The magnitude and the devastation that could happen in a split second. … Someone so reckless and so irresponsible is beyond comprehension."

The accident left Frank with multiple injuries to his arm, shoulder and head, but it took the lives of his wife, daughter and son.

"My wife was wonderfully caring; we were one week from our sixth anniversary. Macie had just turned four. Garrison was coming up on his third birthday," Bingham said. "I'll always remember them as perfect as anyone can be."

As Frank mourns his family this holiday weekend, he wants revelers to think twice before getting behind a wheel, and to remember the potential deadly consequences of drinking and driving.

"What people need to remember is if you're going to drink … you have to be responsible beforehand," he said, "because once you get started you might not be able to stop."