Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Dover– According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), if drunk driving was eliminated more than 10,000 lives would be spared nationally each year. That is why the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and law enforcement agencies are participating in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” high-visibility enforcement campaign that is running from August 15 through September 1. There will be increased public awareness and enforcement to send the strong message that drunk driving will not be tolerated. The goal of the campaign is to remind motorists that drinking and driving is dangerous and will not be tolerated.
Increased impaired driving enforcement for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign includes DUI saturation patrols by the following agencies; Blades PD, Bridgeville PD, Camden PD, Clayton PD, Delaware City PD, Dewey Beach PD, Dover PD, Elsmere PD, Felton PD, Georgetown PD, Greenwood PD, Harrington PD, Laurel PD, Lewes PD, Middletown PD, Milford PD, Millsboro PD, Milton PD, New Castle City PD, New Castle County PD, Newark PD, Newport PD, Ocean View PD, Rehoboth Beach PD, Seaford PD, Smyrna PD, Wilmington PD, Wyoming PD, and DSP.
Last year in Delaware, alcohol use was involved 43% of the 96 fatal crashes. Of all the drivers killed last year, 41% were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Currently, Delaware has experienced 28 alcohol related fatal crashes that resulted in 33 lives lost. Last week 72 individuals were arrested for DUI in Delaware bringing the total DUI arrests statewide for 2014 to 2,486.
In addition to the national crackdown, Delaware is currently coordinating the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign to combat impaired driving. Law enforcement agencies are participating in DUI checkpoints each weekend across the state. One DUI checkpoint is scheduled to take place Friday August 16th, in the Seaford area and will be coordinated by the Delaware State Police (DSP).
Across the nation in 2012, 147 drunk-driving fatalities occurred over Labor Day weekend (6 p.m. Friday to 5:59 a.m. Tuesday). To put it in perspective, throughout the year someone is killed in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash every 51 minutes, on average. Over the Labor Day weekend, that statistic jumps to one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 34 minutes. And not surprisingly, nighttime is the worst, with almost half (46%) of all nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) traffic fatalities involving a drunk driver during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
For more information visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIrealtime.com and follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.
