The purpose of Memorial Day is remembrance. A lot of soldiers died to keep our country safe and free, and they are deserving of a day devoted to their sacrifice.

It’s a sad irony that this day honoring fallen soldiers is known for casualties of its own: the weekend is one of three – the others are Labor Day and Independence Day – on which road collisions claim the most lives. Many of those are caused by drinking drivers.

It’s a standard progression: from holiday to day off to parties to alcohol. And it’s especially sad because it’s avoidable. All it takes is for you to plan your Memorial Day driving as well as you plan the other parts of your weekend. That means:

• Plan a sober ride home. Either designate a sober driver, or stay over and postpone driving till the next day.
• If you’re hosting a party, make sure everyone has arranged a sober ride home, or find them a place to stay over.
• Have non-alcoholic drinks available.

Monitech wishes you a safe Memorial Day.