Oklahoma City, OK — This holiday season, law enforcement throughout the state of Oklahoma will be looking for impaired drivers as part of Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over national enforcement mobilization campaign.
“Beginning December 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement; law enforcement will be watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said Major Jack McCoy, Oklahoma Highway Patrol. “There will be zero tolerance for impaired driving.”
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that any decision to drive while impaired can have serious and even deadly consequences. Nationally in 2015, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 29 percent (10,265) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the limit of .08. In Oklahoma, of the 643 total roadway fatalities in 2015, 170 of them (or 26%) were alcohol-related.
From 2011-2015, 14,034 people nationwide lost their lives in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the month of December, and twenty-eight percent (3,983) died in a crash that involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher.
“Law enforcement will do what it takes to help save lives by keeping our roads safe,” said Susan DeCourcy, Regional Administrator, NHTSA Region 7. “If you choose to drive impaired, not only will you risk your safety, and that of others, but you will also face the legal consequences.”
Impaired driving offenders often serve jail time, lose their driver’s license, are charged higher insurance rates, and pay dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. But the ultimate cost of impaired driving is causing a traffic crash that injures or kills.
Follow these tips to stay safe on the road this holiday season:
● If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.
● If you become intoxicated, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use ride share, or use NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or friend and identify their location so they can be picked up.
● If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a safe way home.
● If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life.
Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive. Together we can ENDUI.
