This blog post is a guest post from our friends at MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Periodically, MADD writes guest blog posts for I DRIVE SAFELY.
Labor Day typically signals the end of summer. However, it also can mean tragedy on our nation’s roadways.
That’s why nearly 10,000 law enforcement agencies and other highway safety partners across the nation will be out in record numbers to conduct a major drunk driving crackdown over the Labor Day holiday. Their message is simple: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”.
It is illegal in all 50 States to to drive with a .08 or higher BAC, but despite these laws, in 2010 more than 10,000 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was drunk.
Supporting the heroes who keep us safe on the road is a critical part of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®. Research shows that when done correctly, high-visibility enforcement campaigns reduce drunk driving fatalities by 20 percent.
During the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown from August 17th to September 3rd, drunk drivers will be targeted and arrested. Law enforcement are taking aggressive steps to decrease the numbers of drunk driving deaths across the nation, which in 2010 accounted for 31 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States.
If you plan to be on the road during this potentially dangerous time period, please be careful. Check out these tips on how to spot a drunk driver and if you do see an impaired driver on the road, follow these simple instructions to notify the authorities and help keep our roadways safe.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving:
Founded by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every eight minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP. Learn more at www.madd.org or by calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.