Labor Day is almost here, marking the unofficial end of summer. This means that millions of people will hit the roads for the long weekend. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) encourages vacationers to “drive sober or get pulled over.”
To combat drunk driving, police departments nationwide will increase road presence and pull over drunk and drug impaired drivers with increased frequency. The heightened road security is in effect from August 14-September 2, 2019. The program is designed to address the rise in deaths caused by drunk driving. 376 people died in traffic crashes during the 2017 Labor Day weekend. Of those crashes, 36% involved drunk drivers.
Drunk driving is a serious problem in the United States. On average, drunk driving related accidents claim more than 10,000 lives per year. As of 2017, 220 children 14 years and younger were killed in a drunk driving crash. According to the NHTSA, that’s about one in every five children in the United States.
While it is ok to have fun, you should have a plan for travel that does not put you, or anyone else in harm’s way. Drinking (and drugs) impairs judgment, focus, and reaction speed. If your attention is not on the road, you will not be able to adjust accordingly to changes in road or traffic conditions and weather.
Be sure to follow these tips when planning to attend Labor Day parties:
- Make a plan for a sober ride home. Have a non-impaired friend drive you, or contact a ride sharing company, like Uber or Lyft.
- Friends don’t let friends drive drunk. If your friend is drunk, and planning to drive, don’t let them. Either take the wheel yourself (only if you’re not drunk) or arrange for your friend to be picked up.
To see the full NHTSA article, follow the link here.
Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!