It’s Time to Crack Down on Impaired Drivers:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
It’s almost the end of summer. Labor Day is regarded as the unofficial end of summer, and many people make it a big party weekend. Unfortunately, it is also a deadly holiday when it comes to impaired driving.
It’s time to get serious about enforcement of impaired driving. This year’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired-driving enforcement crackdown will be conducted from August 15 through Labor Day, September 1. Hundreds of law enforcement officers across the state will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers. There will be no excuses. If you are impaired, you will be arrested.
It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher in all 50 states, yet one in three traffic fatalities are alcohol-related. Nighttime is especially dangerous. More than three-fourths of all drunken driving fatalities over Labor Day weekend 2012 occurred between 6 pm and 6 am.
“This isn’t just about making arrests,” said County Extension Agent Lexie McGrane. “These high-profile crackdowns save lives and prevent injuries at the hands of impaired drivers. We want all residents of Dallas County to be safe this Labor Day holiday.”
“Some simple tips to help folks stay safe this Labor Day—and all year long—are to plan a safe way home before you start festivities, and if you know someone is about to drive drunk, be a friend and take their keys,” said Agent McGrane.
For information on free alcohol awareness programs available through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Watch UR BAC program in College Station, go to http://watchurbac.tamu.edu or call 979-862-1911.