The annual awareness and educational effort offer tips for preparing for a safe holiday weekend, plus a new online tool that demonstrates the various dangers of impaired driving.

DOVER, Del. (Aug. 20, 2021) — Labor Day weekend is historically one of the deadliest times of the year on roadways in Delaware and nationwide. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Labor Day weekend typically generates an increase in drunk-driving deaths. During the 2019 holiday, 451 traffic deaths occurred nationwide, with 45% of those involving a driver who had been drinking. During the 2020 Labor Day holiday weekend in Delaware, there were 76 impaired-related crashes, resulting in 46 injuries and five fatalities.

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS), in partnership with NHTSA, has once again activated the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” impaired-driving campaign with the objective of protecting people from the dangers of impaired driving as they travel on Delaware roadways. The campaign aims to transform risky driving behaviors into responsible actions that can prevent crashes, injuries, and death – as well as fines and other penalties. The campaign and mobilization launched on Wednesday, Aug. 18, and continues through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign:

• Educates the public on impaired driving laws and the potential consequences of driving while under the influence.
• Demonstrates the dangers of impaired driving through interactive tools — such as OHS’ new “When You Drink and Drive, You’re Not All There” Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) tool.
• Encourages people to plan ahead if they plan on drinking or hosting an event with alcohol to ensure everyone has a safe ride home.

Celebrating Success – and Maintaining it

“According to NHTSA, one person is killed approximately every 52 minutes in a drunk-driving crash, totaling more than 10,100 lives lost each year,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “However, in 2019, these numbers reached their lowest percentage since 1982, the year NHTSA first began reporting alcohol data. This demonstrates that we all have the power to change and prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities. One of the greatest motivations is knowing that your responsible behavior can make a positive impact. This is why, especially during this year’s Labor Day mobilization and campaign, we are working to empower Delawareans to focus on the positive change people can make – and are making – one driver at a time.”

The combination of Labor Day weekend being the unofficial “last hurrah” of the summer season coupled with people longing to get outdoors and socialize after 18 stressful months of the COVID-19 pandemic is a recipe for potential disaster. OHS suggests Delawareans include the “Arrive Alive” strategy as part of their overall holiday planning.

OHS offers these tools and tips for planning, driving, and hosting responsibly:

1. Designate and/or “download” your driver. Determine your preferred source for getting a safe ride to and from your destination if you decide to drink.
   • Relying on a friend: Connect with them ahead of time to ensure they don’t plan on drinking.
   • Using a rideshare service such as Uber, Lyft, or NHTSA’s SaferRide: Download the mobile app (for Android devices and iOS) to your phone before you head out to celebrate.
   • Calling a cab: Keep a list of local cab options on your phone.
2. If you’re serving alcohol, help guests at your gathering get home safely. Party hosts can create a unique rideshare code to offer guests a sober ride home. If that is beyond your budget, make signs listing cab companies with phone numbers and a public transportation schedule to hang in your restroom, on your door, and near your drink station.
3. Be a friend. If you see someone drinking too much and/or behaving as if they have, keep them from getting behind the wheel. Take their keys and call them a cab or arrange for a ridesharing option.
4. Be in the “smart seat.” If you’re heading out as a driver or passenger, always buckle your seat belt before starting the vehicle. On the road, if you see a vehicle swerving, speeding, going excessively slow, or somehow indicating its driver may be under the influence, pull over immediately and call 9-1-1.
5. Be aware of when you’re “not all there.” You can’t trust yourself when you drink. Put the keys away and grab a sober friend, call a taxi, or take public transportation home.

Visit OHS’ new “When You Drink and Drive, You’re Not All There” Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) tool. Use this tool, available in both English and Spanish by activating the language toggle icon, to explore impairing effects on different parts of the body and learn how critical driving skills deteriorate when a person reaches varying levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

Impaired Driving Statistics for Delaware

Over the period of five years, from 2016 to 2020, September was the deadliest month of the year on Delaware roadways. 48% of impaired crashes occurred between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., with 58% occurring on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. In terms of age, 31% of impaired drivers were 20 to 29 years old.

Media Contacts:

AB&C, Jenn Buchman, jbuchman@abccreative.com

DOHS, Veronica Marshall, veronica.marshall@delaware.gov

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues, such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. Follow OHS on ArriveAliveDE.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Office of Highway Safety announces St. Patrick’s DUI Enforcement

Dover – St. Patrick’s Day brings to mind shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and good luck. But don’t rely on luck to can save you from a drunk-driving crash. The New Castle County DUI Task Force will be conducting a DUI checkpoint near Wilmington this Saturday the 14th to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the city. Last year, police arrested a total of 48 individuals for DUI during St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Lisa Shaw, Office of Highway Safety DUI program coordinator offered this advice to partygoers: “Get ahead of the decision this year. If you know you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with alcohol, then figure out a plan in advance that will get you home safely. Don’t wait until you’re too buzzed to decide, and don’t ever ride with a friend who’s been drinking.” Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving, so if you have anything to drink be sure you can count on a sober friend, a taxi, or public transportation. Not drinking? Maybe this St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll be the saint who drives your friend’s home. Remember, friends don’t let friends drive drunk.

Let’s make 2015 different. Use this party-planning checklist to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day.

• NOW: Even if you don’t have plans yet, plan to drive sober or designate a sober driver. Save the number of a taxi company in your phone so you always have a backup plan. You can find taxi numbers on our website http://www.duirealtime.com/Taxi.

• WHEN YOU MAKE PLANS: A sober driver is an essential part of any party plan. Once you know where you’ll celebrate, decide whether you’re drinking or You can only choose one.
• ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Before you take your first sip of green beer, leave your keys at home or give them to a friend. If you’re the designated driver, don’t drink. Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages and brag about your VIP (very important partygoer) status online using the hashtag #designateddriver. Only drive sober or ride with a sober driver.
• EVERY DAY: If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely. If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

Drunk driving has fatal consequences. If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 immediately. You could save a life.

In 2014, 54 percent (67 of 124) of all vehicle deaths in Delaware were alcohol related.  Since January 1^st of this year, there have been seven (7) alcohol-related traffic deaths compared to eight (8) at this time last year.  For more information on OHS’s year round DUI efforts please visit our website at www.ohs.delaware.gov .

Dover –  As 2013 comes to a close, the Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is reminding motorists to celebrate the holidays responsibly and designate a sober driver because ‘Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving’.

There are two DUI checkpoints scheduled as follows:

• Friday December 27th   Newark ( DSP & New Castle County DUI Task Force)- checkpoint

• Tuesday December 31^st    Newark (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- checkpoint

The Safe Family Holiday DUI Victim tree received 1 more red bulb this week. There is now a total of 9 green bulbs and 2 red bulb on each DUI Victim tree.  Each green bulb represents an alcohol related injury and a red bulb represents an alcohol related fatality on Delaware roadways between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  Last year, 3 people were killed and 54 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in Delaware during the holiday season.

Since January 1^st of this year, 96 people have lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 92 fatal traffic crashes, compared to 106 people killed in 101 fatal traffic crashes this time last year.  Aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, running stop signs, and not granting right of way, have contributed to 34% of the fatal traffic crashes so far this year. To date alcohol consumption has been involved in 35% of the traffic deaths, and 47% of vehicle occupant fatalities were individuals not wearing their seat belts.

For more information on these or any of our other Safe Family Holiday campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

OHS partners with Ben Kennedy Racing, Junior Motorsports, and Tommy Baldwin Racing

Dover – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has an action packed weekend (Sept. 27-29) at the Monster Mile reminding fans to Drive Sober and Arrive Alive.  On Friday September 27^th, OHS is the title sponsor for the ‘Drive Sober 150’ NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with Grand Marshalls- Bill and Muriel Elliott of the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers and Sgt. Andrew Rubin of Newark PD waving the green flag.  OHS is also teamed up with #96 Ben Kennedy and Ben Kennedy Racing for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race in the ‘Drive Sober 150’.

OHS will also be teaming up with #7 Regan Smith of Junior Motorsports Saturday in the ‘5-Hour Energy’ NASCAR Nationwide Series race, and then on Sunday with #36 JJ Yeley of Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in the ‘AAA 400’ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.  Race fans will have several opportunities to meet the drivers throughout the weekend including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver autograph session Friday September 27^th from 1-2pm at the Lucas Oil display in the FanZone.  Then OHS will host autograph sessions with #7 Regan Smith of Junior Motorsports at the Drive Sober display Saturday from 10:15 am-11:00 am and on Sunday with #36 JJ Yeley of TBR from 9:30 am- 11:00 am.

OHS will be promoting the Drive Sober message all race weekend with various actives in the Monster Mile Fan Zone including Choose Your Ride police cruiser-cab, designated driver pledges, show cars, and t-shirt giveaways for participants of the DUI Pit Stop Challenge game.

“We are very excited to work with each team and partner this weekend by reminding fans to make the smart choice of choosing a designated driver before the race starts,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Office of Highway Safety. “That designated driver can be a friend, family member, or a cab ride home.  We want fans to have fun this weekend but also be safe and have a sober ride home.”

The Choose Your Ride Delaware State Police (DSP) cruiser-cab will patrol the campgrounds Saturday morning with NASCAR driver JJ Yeley and DSP Sgt. Shavack.  The police cruiser-cab is a custom taxi cab wrap on half of the Delaware State Police patrol car.  The intent is to convey a special message for impaired drivers: choose your ride.  Yeley and Sgt. Shavack will stop and talk with campers about making the smart choice of having a designated driver or calling a cab if fans decide to drink this weekend along with handing out giveaway items and signing autographs.

“Through the continued partnership of the Delaware State Police and The Delaware Office of Highway Safety, we continue to combat and raise awareness of the deadly consequences of drunk driving,” said Sergeant Paul G. Shavack, Director of Public Information for the Delaware State Police.  “We hope that this hybrid police cruiser-cab sends a simple but powerful message and serves as a great visual reminder to “Choose Your Ride” before getting behind the wheel intoxicated.”

Race fans will also have two opportunities to take a pledge to not drive impaired.  The first one is by signing their name on the #36 Drive Sober TBR show car.  Race teams, drivers, and media will also take the pledge in the infield by signing the #36 Drive Sober race car in the Sprint Cup garage.  The second pledge can be taken at the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers tent located next to the OHS FanZone booth.  Fans who take the HERO pledge get special access into the Designated Drivers tent which has 2 tv’s, skydeck, games, snacks, and coupon for a FREE hot dog and soft drink.

For a full list of OHS race weekend activity visit www.ohs.delaware.gov  or follow OHS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, Like OHS on Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE. For OHS Drive Sober campaign updates visit www.DUIrealtime.com.

Dover – Super Bowl a.k.a. “Harbowl” will be one of the biggest sporting events in 2013.  While, many will be watching the game to see which coach Harbaugh can bring home the trophy, Delaware law enforcement officers will be watching the roads ensuring impaired drivers don’t ruin your Super Bowl celebrations.

Sunday night of the big game, the New Castle County DUI Task Force will be conducting a DUI checkpoint in Newark while the Delaware State Police and ten (10) other local law enforcement agencies will be conducting statewide DUI saturation patrols.  In 2012 there were thirty-six (36) individuals arrested for DUI and nine (9) alcohol related crashes on Super Bowl Sunday statewide.

Penalties for a first time DUI conviction include loss of your license, possible jail time up to 6 months, fines up to $1,500, and mandatory participation in an alcohol education and/or treatment program.  The approximate cost for a first time DUI including court, DMV, treatment and legal fees is $3,400.00.  Subsequent DUI convictions include mandatory jail time and higher fines.

OHS offers the following tips to help you have a safe Super Bowl weekend.   If you’re going out to a bar or party, designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.  Once out, if you’ve been drinking alcohol, don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend for a ride home.  Call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you, or stay where you are until you are sober.  Finally, remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, serve lots of high protein food and be sure to include lots of non-alcoholic beverages.  Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game – and begin serving coffee and dessert.  Be sure all of your guests designate their drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.  Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.