Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement runs through Labor Day

The Bradenton Police Department is working alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to decrease impaired driving. From August 19 through September 5, BPD will participate in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement period. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see 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 the 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.

During the 2020 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. September 4 – 5:59 a.m. September 8), there were 530 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-six percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and one-fourth (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 Bradenton Police Department and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely.

• 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.

• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

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