A new “drive sober or get pulled over” campaign has been launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Increased law enforcement will be on the road over the Labor Day weekend through to September 7 as part of the high-visibility enforcement, which will be supported by a $10 million national advertising campaign.
“Driving while impaired is a leading cause of fatalities on our nation’s roads, and during this Labor Day weekend, please take action to avoid these completely preventable tragedies,” said US Transportation Secretary Elaine L Chao.
NHTSA’s latest alcohol-impaired driving data shows that in 2018 there were 10,511 motor vehicle crash fatalities involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher, 29 per cent of all traffic fatalities that year. About two-thirds of alcohol-impaired fatalities (7,051) were in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .15 g/dL or higher – close to twice the legal limit in most states.
This year’s campaign runs through Labor Day weekend, one of the deadliest times on U.S. roads. During this period, thousands of participating state and local law enforcement agencies will be monitoring roadways to protect the public from impaired drivers.
