For the next two and a half weeks, law enforcement across the nation will be out in full force cracking down on drunk drivers through the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. The national drunk driving crackdown for the 2013 winter holiday season starts on December 13 and lasts through January 1, 2014.
The holiday season that stretches from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day is one of the deadliest times of the year due to an increased number of drunk drivers on the road, from people heading home from another cocktail-laced Christmas party to the late-nighters hitting the road after ringing in the New Year with glass after glass of champagne.
During the Decembers of the years 2007 through 2011, 4,169 people were killed in car crashes that involved drunk drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In December 2011 alone, 760 people lost their lives due to drunk driving.
The holiday season is no time to potentially cause fatal harm to yourself or others or to get tangled up in the legal and financial costs of a DUI. Stay safe during the holidays by not driving while impaired or letting others drive while impaired.
If you plan to drink, plan a safe ride home before you go out. If drinking was unplanned, don’t get behind the wheel. Take a cab or call a local sober ride service. If you see someone who has been drinking getting ready to drive, take their keys and help them find a safe ride home. If you see a drunk driver on the road, call your local law enforcement.