There's the spiked eggnog, the winter ales, the mulled wine and the candycane shots. The holidays might be a good excuse to raise your glass for a toast, but that also means you need to be extra cautious when getting from downtown to 410. The best advice anyone can give a person is don't drink and drive. So 210SA has compiled a list of alternatives to getting behind the wheel after a few too many of that holiday punch. 
 
Alternatives

Pick a designated driver before you head out to drink.

Call a friend or family member to pick you up.

If you're drinking at someone's house, ask to stay the night.

Take advantage of Via's Downtown Lineup bus service, which leaves at 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. from the downtown area. Fare is $1.

Via also offers Starlight Service, which shuttles people inside Loop 410 and the Medical Center area from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. The fare is $5.50.

Call a cab. Local rates range from $1.70 to $1.90 for pickup and $2 per mile.

Stats

Of the 3,504 traffic fatalities in Texas in 2005, 45 percent were alcohol-related.

There are about 1.4 million alcohol or narcotic-related arrests in the U.S. each year.

In the U.S., about three in 10 people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash.

Beer is the No. 1 culprit in cases of drunken driving, underage drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking.

On average, the human body metabolizes one drink per hour.

What's one drink? Beer = 12 ounces. Wine = 5 ounces. Distilled spirits (72-proof) = 1.5 ounces.

It's a myth: Coffee, cold showers and exercise will not sober you up. Only time will do the trick.

Source: Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Contact MADD for brochures, statistics and other info: (210) 349-0200; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it