As prom season draws near New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) is asking students and parents to take the Arrive Alive pledge, an anti-drinking and driving campaign that encourages safe driving practices.

“We all know that driving under the influence can have devastating consequences,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “That’s why I’m encouraging young people to take this pledge and to remind them to never drink and drive or ride with someone who has been drinking.”

The pledge asks parents and guardians to drive teens home at any time of the night – with no questions asked ¬– and for teens to refuse to drink and drive or accept a ride from anyone who has been drinking.

Thiele noted that car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens, with a quarter of those crashes involving an underage driver who has been drinking. Statistics collected by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also show that 4,700 people die each year as a result of teen alcohol use and one in seven teens binge drink.

“Underage drinking occurs, and we shouldn’t ignore it,” said Thiele. “What we need to do is have an open and honest conversation with our sons and daughters to warn them about the dangers of drunk driving.”

To receive a copy of the Arrive Alive pledge, please contact Assemblyman Thiele’s District Office at 631.537.2583 or by email at thielef@assembly.state.ny.us or by visiting his website at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/001/20160412/index.pdf