ST. CLAIRSVILLE — New Year’s Eve traditionally is a time for parties and toasts to the coming year, which means drunk driving can follow the celebrations.

According to AAA, drunk driving crashes kill one person every 48 minutes in the United States. Alcohol contributed to nearly 12,000 crashes on Ohio’s roads last year, according to Ohio Department of Public Safety crash statistics. More alcohol-related accidents happened in December than during any other month, with more than 1,100 alcohol-related crashes resulting in nearly 600 injuries and 27 deaths during that month alone.

Although 94 percent of drivers say it is unacceptable for someone to get behind the wheel when they have had too much to drink, 14 percent of drivers have admitted to driving when they thought their alcohol levels may have been close to or over the legal limit at least one in the past year.

AAA offers tips to help avoid drunk driving and keep celebrations safe, such as making sure to plan ahead. It is best to have a designated sober driver or to call a cab or ride sharing service if alcohol consumption has occurred.

Hosts can also offer non-alcoholic beverages to help make sure no one leaves their house to drive drunk. Ohio’s host liability law holds those who serve alcohol liable for injury or death that occurs due to the actions of their intoxicated guests.

“We are trying to make safety a priority for hosts and party-goers,” Kimberly Schwind, AAA senior public relations manager, said. “We have to prevent drunk driving for the holidays. We are still seeing people say that this (drunk driving) is wrong, but there are some people that are doing it anyway. It doesn’t take that many people to cause issues on our roadways. In fact, 28 percent of Ohio’s fatal crashes involved alcohol in 2017.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging drivers who intend to celebrate the New Year’s holiday with alcoholic beverages to plan ahead and designate a sober driver to prevent a fatal accident. During Christmas weekend, three fatalities happened as result of people not wearing seat belts, and three others were related to driving while under the influence. A total of 404 arrests were also made in Ohio related to driving under the influence from midnight Dec. 21 through 11:59 p.m. Dec. 25. The patrol also continues to see more drivers impaired by prescription pills or narcotics, and its troopers will be targeting certain areas over the New Year holiday as a result of this trend.

“We thank everyone who slowed down, buckled up and had designated sober drivers,” Col. Paul Pride, patrol superintendent, said of the Christmas holiday. “We ask that you do the same every time you get behind the wheel. There are so many options to get home safe. Planning ahead before you go out is not only the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”