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09/03/2021

Plan Ahead This Labor Day Holiday: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Many look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. The Connecticut Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety is reminding residents that no matter how you plan to commemorate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely.

This Labor Day weekend, law enforcement across the State is participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign. They will be patrolling for impaired drivers to keep our roads safe. And, if you are driving under the influence, you will be pulled over.

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.

In Connecticut, there were 107 fatalities and 244 serious injuries that occurred in the past 18 months that have been attributed to a driver operating a vehicle while under the influence.

“Fatalities attributed to drinking and driving are 100 percent preventable,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. “We want our community members to understand that it’s our top priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking. Driving while impaired is illegal and it takes lives.”

The Connecticut Department of Transportation recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

  • Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. 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.
  • If available, use a rideshare program or public transit.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
  • If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take away the keys and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.


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