Better watch or better not drive drunk – police agencies launch ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ effort

From SAFE COMMUNITIES OF WOOD COUNTY

This holiday season, Safe Communities of  Wood County is partnering with Local Law Enforcement to share the message about the dangers of impaired driving.

From December 18, 2020, through January 1, 2021, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for impaired driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to impaired driving. According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in impaired driving crashes in 2018. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 — one person was killed in an impaired driving crash every 50 minutes in 2018.

The holidays should be an enjoyable time for our families and friends, not a marker for the death of a loved one due to an impaired driving crash.  We need commitment from everyone to designate a sober driver, call a cab, Uber, Lyft, or trusted friend. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior.

NOTE:  Due to the COVID pandemic, we will be unable to provide free rides on New Year’s Eve this year.  We look forward to continuing this program as soon as we are safely able to do so.