Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over This Holiday Season

Law enforcement is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  in a special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization through Jan. 1, 2018, to get drunk drivers off the street and to spread the word about the dangers of impaired driving.

The holidays are a festive time for everyone, with endless parties with friends, families and co-workers that can easily lead to drinking too much alcohol. However, drunk driving can have deadly, devastating consequences. Every holiday season, lives are lost due to drunk drivers.

That’s why local law enforcement will work around the clock to keep vehicle drivers and passengers safe as they search for drunk drivers.

Data from the NHTSA shows that any decision to drive while impaired can have serious and even deadly consequences.

National Facts & Statistics

According to the NHTSA, 37,461 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2016, and 28% (10,497) of those fatalities died in a crash where involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration over the limit of .08.

From 2012 to 2016, 14,472 people lost their lives in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the month of December, and 28%(3,995) died in a crash that involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher.

HOLIDAY SEASON DRIVING ADVICE FROM THE NHTSA

Plan Before You Party

• Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.
• Designate a sober driver or use public transportation to get home safely. Remember that a designated driver should always be a sober driver, not the one who drank the least.
• If you do plan to drive, opt for a mocktail! They are just as delicious and festive as any cocktail.
• Also, download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple’s iTunes Store for IOS devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• The NHTSA encourage everyone to be a responsible driver during this holiday season, and of course, throughout the year. Alcohol and illegal drugs aren’t the only intoxicants that can impair you—prescription or over-the-counter medications can also cause impairment.

Important Things to Remember

• If you know someone who is about to drive or ride after drinking, be strong—take the keys and make arrangements to help them get safely to their destination.
• While you’re out celebrating, never drink and drive. Not only would you be risking your life and the lives of others—you could face a DUI arrest. The average DUI costs $10,000, making it difficult to recover financially.
• And the cost doesn’t end there. Arrested drunk drivers face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other hefty expenses, from car towing and repairs to attorney fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work and more.

Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive. “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”