Americans will soon celebrate the unofficial end of the summer season with Labor Day, and BNPD wants to emphasize the need to ensure a sober way home from your celebrations. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will take place August 18 through September 6. Citizens should expect to see increased enforcement on the roads and zero tolerance for impaired driving.
Lt. Don Robertson of BNPD said the campaign is an additional way for the department to further protect the residents of Benton and surrounding areas.
“It’s essential that we all understand the risks of drinking and driving, along with other types of impaired driving,” he said. It’s never acceptable to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking or consuming other intoxicants. Doing so endangers you and everyone on the road with you- no matter the amount consumed.”
NHTSA documented 10,142 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved alcohol-impaired drivers. During the Labor Day holiday the same year, 451 crash fatalities occurred nationwide with 45 percent of those fatalities involving drivers who had been drinking.
“Have a designated sober driver if you plan to consume alcohol or other substances,” said Robertson. “If you don’t have a designated driver, call a taxi or a friend to pick you up, and always remember to buckle up. Also, if you see a drunk or impaired driver on the road, always call 911.”
For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at 501-618-8136.