Union County officials are participating in a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in an effort to stop drunk driving leading up to and during the Labor Day weekend.
Expanded efforts to “take drunk drivers off the roads” will run through Sept. 6.
“These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way,” according to a release from the Union County Health Department.
Local officials encouraged residents to plan for a safe end of the summer season.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019, and one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019.
“This is why the Union County Sheriff’s Office is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death,” according to the release.
Law enforcement officers said it will take collaboration between officials and community members to keep everyone safe throughout the holiday weekend.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Union County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Rich Crabtree.
“We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday,” he continued. “This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior.”
During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period, there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. 45% of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC).
Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.
The Union County Sheriff’s office and NHTSA reminded citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely.
“Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive,” the release stated. “Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.”