The Sarasota Police Department is working alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to decrease impaired driving.  The Sarasota Police Department will be taking part in Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over during the Labor Day holiday, including the end of the summer and the busy upcoming Labor Day weekend.

In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in our communities, you’ll see Sarasota Police officers working together during this time to take drunk drivers off the roads. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely.

According to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, and one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 45 minutes in 2020.

This is why the Sarasota Police Department is partnering with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to festivities during the end of summer and Labor Day weekend, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“We want our community members to understand 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 Sergeant Anthony Frangioni, Sarasota Police Department Traffic Unit. “We need commitment from our community that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe summer and Labor Day holiday. This is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” said Sergeant Frangioni.

During the 2020 Labor Day holiday period, there were 530 crash fatalities nationwide. 46% of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking. More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drunk drivers (.08+ BAC), and 25% 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 21 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2020, 44% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.

The Sarasota Police Department wants to remind citizens 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 Sergeant Frangioni.

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

• 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.

   

• Use a sober ride-sharing program including AAA Tow to Go, Uber, Lyft, Taxi, or friends and family.  In Florida, Tow to Go will be available 6 p.m. Friday, September 2, 2022, until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

   

• 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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