Beginning Friday and continuing through Sept. 4, the Hot Springs Police Department will join with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other law enforcement agencies in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" high-visibility enforcement campaign targeting impaired drivers.
During the Labor Day holiday period, including the end of summertime and the busy holiday weekend, "you'll see officers working together to take drunk drivers off the roads. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of summer this year, make sure you plan to do it safely," HSPD Officer 1st Class Omar Cervantes, the department's public information officer, said in a news release.
According to NHTSA, 13,384 people were killed in drunken driving crashes in 2021 -- one person every 39 minutes. On average, more than 11,000 people were killed in drunken driving crashes each year from 2017 to 2021.
"This is why the Hot Springs Police Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal; it's a matter of life and death," the release said.
"We want our community members to understand that it's our first priority to keep people safe, so we're asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they'll be out drinking," Cervantes said. "The Drive Sober campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let's make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior."
During the 2021 Labor Day holiday period, between 6 p.m. Sept. 3 and 5:59 a.m. Sept. 7, there were 531 fatalities nationwide; 41%, or 216, involved a drunken driver, and more than a quarter, 27%, involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit, 0.15 or above. Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2021, 48% were drunk, with BACs of 0.08 or higher.
"Remember: A few dollars spent on a ride home is a lot cheaper than a DUI, which can cost up to $10,000. Something else to consider: Don't ever be too proud or embarrassed to ask for a ride. Allowing a sober driver to help you get home safely keeps you and others safe. What's more embarrassing than asking for a sober ride home? Spending the night in jail. Having your car impounded. Losing your job or your security clearance. Take your pick," Cervantes said.
Visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving for more information.