Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign: August 18th to September 6th
On Tuesday, August 17, 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), together with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Governors’ Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and other safety agencies and advocacy groups, announced this year’s annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over public safety campaign against drunk drivers and impaired driving through the end of the Labor Day Holiday Weekend (on September 6, 2021).
Beginning August 18th and continuing through September 6th, the roadways of Indiana and Illinois as well as other parts of the country will see an increased number of law enforcement officers anxious to stop and arrest drivers that are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Labor Day 2021 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will target drivers of all types of motor vehicles, from small sedans and motorcycles to the largest semi-truck and double tractor-trailer rig.
From NHTSA Acting Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff:
“Driving impaired, whether under the influence of alcohol or drugs, has devastating consequences and is illegal in every state. Not only do you put yourself at risk, but the lives of others as well. The tragic loss of life is 100% preventable. Instead of driving under the influence, plan for a sober ride home.”
This is particularly important for our local roadways over the upcoming Labor Day Holiday. According to 2019 federal death records, 29% of all motor vehicle fatalities in Indiana involved drunk driving. That same year, an astonishing 36% of Illinois’ fatal motor vehicle accidents involved a drunk driver.
Local Law Enforcement Focusing on Drunk Drivers and Risk of Impaired Driving Crashes
In both Indiana and Illinois for the next few weeks, law enforcement at both the state and local levels will dedicate significant time and effort to policing our roads for those who may be operating any kind of motor vehicle while intoxicated with alcohol or impaired by drugs (prescription, non-prescription, or street).
For example, places like Hamilton County, Indiana, and Lockport, Illinois, will have officers on the roads ready to stop vehicles in an attempt to thwart the rising risk of a serious or fatal impaired driving accident over the next few weeks. Read,” Lockport Police Plan Labor Day Enforcement Campaign,” written by Andrea Earnest and published by Patch on August 17, 2021 and “Hamilton County Police Participating In Labor Day Weekend Drunk Driving Enforcement Mobilization,” written by Jacob Burbrink and published by Indianapolis’ FOX-59 on August 18, 2021.
Labor Day Holiday Danger of Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents from Impaired Driving
The tragedy of someone being permanently harmed or killed in a traffic collision caused by a driver who was behind the wheel after drinking too much alcohol is made even more horrific because these incidents are entirely preventable. If the driver does not drive while impaired, then the crash cannot happen.
Sadly, statistics have proven that certain times of year, particularly national holiday weekends, the number of fatal crashes involving drunk drivers jumps significantly.
From NHTSA come the following Labor Day Drunk Driving Statistics:
- During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), 38% of fatalities in traffic crashes involved a drunk driver.
- During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period, there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ blood alcohol concentration [BAC]). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC).
- In fatal crashes during the month of August over the five-year period of 2015-2019, 8% of the drunk drivers involved, with a BAC of .08 or higher, had one or more previous convictions for drunk driving.
- Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.
This data applies only to drunk driving, where the driver’s blood alcohol level exceeds the legal limit and they are by definition legally driving under the influence (DUI) in violation of state drunk driving laws. For more on drunk driving accidents, read:
- Factors in Drunk Driving Fatal Car Crashes in Indiana and Illinois
- Drunk Driving Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: Danger of a Fatal DUI Crash
- How Many Drunk Drivers Are There in Indiana and Illinois? The Danger of Drunk Driving Accidents Is High.
However, given the legalization of recreational marijuana in the State of Illinois, it is likely that there will be accidents involving drivers behind the wheel who are impaired by cannabis use, as well. For more on impaired driving involving drugs, see:
- Truck Driver Drug Use in Indiana and Illinois: High Risk of a Fatal Truck Crash Caused by Impaired Trucker
- Truck Drivers and Drugs: Marijuana, Cocaine, and Meth are Top Three Drugs Found in FMCSA Commercial Driver Drug Testing
- Impaired School Bus Drivers: Alcohol, Drugs, and OTC Medications
- Recreational Marijuana is Legal in Illinois: The Rising Danger of a Drugged Driving Crash.
Drunk Driving Accident Victims’ Claims for Justice in Indiana and Illinois
The United States Department of Transportation reports that someone dies every 52 minutes in this country from injuries sustained in a drunk driving crash. Pedestrians as well as the occupants and drivers of any motor vehicles involved in the collision are at risk in a drunk driving accident.
Both Indiana and Illinois have personal injury and wrongful death laws on the books that provide avenues for justice to those victims of drunk driving accidents and their loved ones. There may be legal liability not only for the driver, but for others as well, such as: (1) those who negligently entrusted the vehicle to the driver; (2) those who served or supplied the alcohol to the driver; and (3) those who allowed the driver to continue to work behind the wheel after knowing of a propensity to drink alcohol or get drunk (past history of employee inebriation or drug abuse).
For more, read:
- Drunk Driving Accident: Who’s Legally Liable? Answer is Different for Indiana and Illinois
- Liable for Drunk Driving Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: Social Party Hosts, Bars, Restaurants
- Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths Totals Grossly Inaccurate: Drunk Driving As A Cause Of Death Not Properly Documented in Death Certificates
- Uber or Lyft Crashes: Liability in Ridesharing Accidents.
This Labor Day Holiday should be an enjoyable, happy time as friends and family enjoy the traditional weekend that transitions our calendars from summer to fall. Sadly, some will be severely hurt or die in a drunk driving crash in our part of the country according to statistical studies. We support efforts to protect against these preventable tragedies by our local law enforcement. Please be careful out there!
