With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s time for good tidings and festive gatherings. Unfortunately, holiday cheer can have a dark side—it often results in deadly over-drinking.

Experts believe stress, family strife, parties and other social gatherings can lead to excessive drinking during holiday time. Even moderate drinkers may over-indulge at the office party and end up behind the wheel.

Alcohol-related traffic crashes kill someone every 31 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 39 percent of all traffic deaths were alcohol-related in 2005, the last year for which statistics were available.

In South Carolina, 440 fatal crashes were alcohol-related in 2005, resulting in 501 deaths and 3,714 injuries in those and other crashes, according to the South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book. More than 45 percent of those crashes occurred between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.; more than 60 percent of them were on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.

In North Carolina, one in four fatal crashes in 2005 involved alcohol, with 384 alcohol-related deaths, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.

A total of 18 people died on South Carolina roads in the last three holiday periods of 2006—Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Over the same period, 41 people died on North Carolina roads.

A number of factors influence holiday drinking and driving: strong emotions, financial strain and commitment to too many activities, according to traffic safety experts. This type of stress tends to lead people to believe drinking will help alleviate problems or one more drink than usual won’t hurt.

Some tips:
• Don’t get behind the wheel if you drink.
• Find a responsible, sober driver to escort you home if you drink.
• If you get into an argument with someone, don’t drink.
• Know your limits.
• Offer to be a designated, non-drinking driver for a friend.
• Watch for other drivers. If you see someone crossing the line or driving erratically, call law enforcement.