The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration kicked off their enforcement mobilization campaign last Friday and plan to continue through Labor Day Weekend. The national initiative, cleverly named “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”, has drawn attention and interest from law enforcement agencies around the country. From the beginning, Newport Beach Police Department joined in and will be having additional law enforcement officers on the road during the period. They will be looking for any drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to the Traffic Safety marketing site by the Department of Transportation, the campaign focuses on stopping drunk drivers and keeping the public safe. It “highlights a constant police presence searching for drunk drivers as a way of deterring people from drinking and driving.”
With Labor Day serving as a reminder that summer is about to end, it is important that people get prepared. Traditionally, the holiday weekend has had some of the highest DUI numbers of the year. The NHTSA website shows statistics from 2017, stating that 37% of drivers who died over the 2017 Labor Day holiday were drunk at the time of the crash. In addition, 36% of the 376 people total who were unfortunately killed during the holiday period were involved in a crash with a drunk driver.
As a heads-up, Newport Beach police have already announced that there will be a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint on August 23rd, 2019 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in an undisclosed location in the city. Like any other day of the year, drive safely and be aware of your environment.
Since the campaign is nationwide, many other law enforcement agencies are expected to ramp up their patrols from now through September 2nd. Keep this in mind as you get ready to celebrate the holiday. “Drunk Driving is a deadly epidemic that takes the lives of more than 10,000 people each year on average. Remember to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
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