This Holiday Season, and All Year Long:

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Dexter Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get drunk drivers off the roads and help save lives. The national high-visibility enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from December 13, 2019 – January 1, 2020. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving, as well as drugged driving, which is on the rise. Increased State and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways. 

Sadly, the statistics show that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2018, equating to one person killed every 48 minutes. These crashes account for 29 percent of all 2018 fatalities. On average, 10,000 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes each year from 2014 to 2018. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors. This is why the Dexter Police Department is working 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 enjoy the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. 

Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem on our nation’s roads. If drivers are impaired by any substance—alcohol or drugs—they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. Drive High, Get a DUI. It’s that simple. 

During the holidays, and every day, please remember that drunk driving isn’t only illegal, it’s deadly. 

For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.