Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in full force through Labor Day holiday

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and often celebrated with barbecues and road trips. Motorists should be aware as they hit the highways that the Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of drunk-driving fatalities.

During the 2018 Labor Day holiday period (August 31-September 4), there were 439 traffic fatalities nationwide. Forty-three percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking and more than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were over the legal limit. Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice that puts all road users at risk.

It is imperative that everyone does their part to end drunk and drugged driving. Remember that it is never okay to drink/drug and drive. Even if planning to have only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or use a ride serve to get home safely.

Those who see a drunk driver on the road should contact local law enforcement. Those who have a friend who is about to drink and drive should take the keys away and make arrangements to get their friend home safely. These are small tasks that can make a big difference to save lives.

Last year, in Iowa, there were six fatalities over the three-day Labor Day weekend. Three of these fatalities involved a drunk driver. To help keep people safe on roadways and put an end to drunk driving, extra law enforcement will be out, both locally and nationally, in support of the 2020 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

From August 21 through September 7, officers will be out keeping roads safe by removing impaired drivers and addressing other serious traffic violations. The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau reminds everyone: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.