It is that time of year when holiday parties pile up one after the other over the course of a few days — and many of them are held after dark and feature alcoholic beverages.

Everyone wants to get to and from all these gatherings safely. No one wants to be added to the grim table of statistics compiled by the Iowa Department of Transportation which records all of the deaths resulting from traffic accidents. As of Friday, 344 people had been killed in traffic crashes in Iowa during 2024, according to the department’s statistics.

That is 28 fewer deaths than last year, a decrease of 7.53 percent.

While too many people are dying on Iowa’s roads, at least the trend is heading in the right direction It is up to all of us to make sure the number of deaths keeps dropping.

Fortunately, preventing deaths and staying out of that morbid table of statistics is actually fairly easy. To do so, follow all the traffic safety rules and don’t drink and drive. If you do choose to drink, pick someone to be a designated driver who will abstain from alcohol, or take a cab.

Losing a driver’s license, spending time in jail or paying a large fine are some of the reasons to avoid driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Much more important reasons are the safety of yourself, others in your vehicle and those in other vehicles. No drink or pill or drug is worth risking death or injury.

So please, be smart and careful out there. Enjoy yourselves. Designate a driver — or become a designated driver — and celebrate safely throughout this holiday season.