If you’re enjoying the holidays with a drink, the Benton Police Department has a message for you: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Due to the increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, law enforcement agencies across America – including the BNPD - will be actively searching for and arresting drunk drivers today through Jan. 1.
And they have good reason to. Of the 10,076 people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in 2013, there were 733 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher in December 2013 alone. And 23 of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day.
“It’s time for all drivers to get the message,” BNPD Chief Kirk Lane said. “Drunk driving is a choice you make, and when you make that choice, people get hurt or die. That’s why we’re joining with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to share the message: ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’
Lt. Kevin Russell added, “The safest way to get home is to drive sober or catch a ride with a sober designated driver. If you plan on drinking at the holiday party or at a restaurant, hand the keys over to someone else – a sober friend, a taxi or public transportation. Or, try NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or a friend by identifying their location so they can be picked up." The SaferRide mobile app is available on ITunes for iPhone users and Google Play for Android users.
As part of the national ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ enforcement campaign period, officers will be increasing the number of patrols, setting up roadblocks, and using local media to reach out to all drivers. If you’re drinking and driving, Benton police will stop you. If you’re caught drinking and driving you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. “That’s not a small price, and that doesn’t even count the heftier price you could pay: the price of your life or someone else’s,” Lane said. “Some people think that if they get pulled over for driving drunk, they can just refuse a breath test to avoid the DUI charge. That’s not true. In most jurisdictions, refusing a breath test means an automatic arrest, and the loss of your driver’s license on the spot.”
The only way to truly avoid a DUI is to drive sober or designate a sober driver ahead of time. Lt. Russell said there are other options, such as calling a friend, family member, using public transportation, or calling a taxi. The cost of cab fare is nothing compared to a $10,000 DUI or the cost of someone’s life, and the ‘inconvenience’ of not driving your own car home is nothing compared to the inconvenience of spending the holidays behind bars.
In addition to reminding all drivers to drive sober, the police chief is calling on everyone to be alert. If you see a drunk driver on the road, call the police right away. If someone you know is about to drive after drinking, take their keys and help them get home safely.
“We’ve got to work together to make our roads safer this December and year-round,” Lt. Russell said. “We can’t stand to see this tragic loss of life again and again. The hardest part of the job is making that house call and telling a family that their loved one is gone because someone chose to drink and drive. That’s why, leading up to the holidays, we will show zero tolerance for drunk drivers on the road. Please find a safe and sober ride home.”
Benton drivers, please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:
•Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash.
•If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
•If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member or use public transportation.
Remember, driving after drinking should never be an option. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov