When a drunk driving-related accident occurs, the risks of significant injury, death, and property damage are very real. In an effort to save lives and prevent injuries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is running a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign between August 21st and September 7th. This national campaign aims to crackdown on the number of drunk driving-related accidents that occur. In order to do so, local law enforcement agencies are called upon to take certain actions.
5 Law Enforcement Efforts Encouraged by the NHTSA to Stop Drunk Driving
What are the roles of law enforcement in this important crackdown? The following is an overview:
- Local law enforcement agencies and the NHTSA will begin spreading the word about the Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement crackdown that will take place this Labor Day weekend. These agencies are encouraged to educate the public about the importance of avoiding impaired driving as the reason for the crackdown.
- The NHTSA is providing law enforcement agencies with various tools to spread the word through social media and the local news as part of an enforcement action kit.
- Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to maximize their force and use checkpoints to the extent possible in order to catch drunk drivers.
- Since the NHTSA reports that drunk driving related fatalities are four times more likely to occur at night and 15 percent more likely to occur on a weekend rather than a weekday, law enforcement agencies are encouraged to step up their drunk driving enforcement efforts during these time frames.
- With the potential for lost lives at stake, law enforcement officials are encouraged to show zero tolerance when a drunk driver is caught in the act.
Spreading awareness of this campaign will do more than keep your friends and loved ones out of jail this Labor Day weekend, it may also help save lives. We encourage you to share a link to this article on your social media accounts.
