This Labor Day, the Sarasota Police Department is taking part in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18 through September 6, 2021.

Many Americans look at the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime.  No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, the Sarasota Police Department wants to make sure you plan it safely.  Residents and visitors will see Sarasota Police officers working to take impaired drivers off the roads. 

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 Sarasota Police Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death.  Always remember to: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Officer Tim Bales, Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit.  “We need commitment from our residents and visitors that they’ll keep the streets free of impaired drivers so everyone can have a safe holiday.  This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk and impaired 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,” said Officer Bales.

The Sarasota Police Department and NHTSA want to remind residents and visitors of the many resources available to get them home safely.  “Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior, especially when there are so many safe alternatives to get you home safely,” said Officer Bales.

Sobering statistics from NHTSA:

• Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs at or above .08).  In 2019, there were 10,142 people killed in drunk-driving crashes.

   

• Among the 10,142 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2019, 68% (6,872) were in crashes in which at least one driver had a BAC of .15 or higher.

   

• Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.

   

• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more.

The Sarasota Police Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving or driving impaired:

• Remember 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-sharing service to get home safely.
  
  
• Use a sober ride-sharing program including AAA Tow to Go, Uber, Lyft, Taxi, or friends and family.  Tow to Go will be available 6 p.m. Friday, September 3, 2021, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 7, 2021.
  
  
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911 or your local law enforcement agency.
  
  
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive?  Take the keys away and plan to get your friend home safely.

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