About 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are currently enforcing the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aimed at targeting drunk and drugged drivers. This effort, which began on August 21st, will run through the Labor Day weekend and is reportedly supported by about $13.5 million in NHTSA advertising.
Commenting on the importance of this campaign, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has stated:
Drunk driving is deadly, it’s against the law, and despite years of progress, it’s still a problem… With the help of law enforcement around the country, we’re getting the word out– if you’ve been drinking, don’t drive, because if you do, you will be stopped, you will be arrested and you will be prosecuted.
Labor Day Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
While there are traditionally more drunk driving accidents in the summer, Labor Day weekend is an especially notorious weekend for these car collisions.
In fact, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pointed out, about 50 percent of all the traffic-related fatalities that occurred at night over the Labor Day weekend involved intoxicated motorists (in contrast, during the daytime, only about 14 percent of these fatalities involved drunk drivers).
Preventing Drunk Driving
Unlike distracted driving in the U.S., drunk driving has actually been on the decline in recent years. Given that even one drunk driver on the road is one too many, however, transportation safety officials are focused on bringing these numbers down to zero.
While DUI enforcement periods like the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Labor Day DUI campaign can be effective to getting the message across to drivers, ultimately, drivers have to take responsibility for their own choices and actions, the NHTSA points out.
To this end, the NHTSA is encouraging motorists to plan ahead for a sober ride to avoid drunk driving. It also suggests taking taxis, finding other rides or using the SaferRide app to find a ride, rather than driving while intoxicated.
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Contact a Kingston Car Accident Attorney at Charles N. Rock, P.L.L.C.
Have you or someone you love been injured in an auto collision by a drunk driver (or any negligent driver behavior)? If so, you can turn to Kingston Car Accident Attorney Charles N. Rock for aggressive legal advocacy and effective help obtaining the compensation to which you may be entitled.
To find out more about your best options for moving forward, contact us today to schedule a free, no obligations initial consultation. You can set up this meeting by calling (845) 383–1170 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page. To ensure that you have the legal support you need now, Attorney Charles N. Rock can meet you at your home or a hospital when needed.