If you haven鈥檛 heard the warning 鈥渄rive sober or get pulled over,鈥� you鈥檙e probably living in a world with no TV, no radio and perhaps even no internet.
But a new nationwide crackdown on impaired driving is beginning, and it鈥檚 not just aimed at drivers who have had too much to drink. Both drunk and drugged driving will be targeted by state and local police agencies around the country.
鈥淚f you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI,鈥� said Joel Szabat, acting under secretary for policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation, during an event Wednesday.
Standing in front of a wall of traffic enforcement officers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia, he added: 鈥淎nytime you consume a substance that makes you feel different, you aren鈥檛 safe to drive. Impaired driving isn鈥檛 just a mistake. It鈥檚 a crime.鈥�
Through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this $13 million ad campaign will back a nationwide crackdown on impaired driving.
鈥淭housands of officers will be out on the roads doing extra patrols and checkpoints for both alcohol and drugs,鈥� Szabat said.
The number of fatal crashes involving alcohol have begun to rise again in recent years, and the months of July, August and September are typically the months with the highest number of fatal crashes.
鈥淩esearch shows that more Americans are getting behind the wheel not only drunk, but also under the influence of drugs,鈥� said Darrin Grondel, who chairs the Governor鈥檚 Highway Safety Association. 鈥淧oly drug use as we鈥檙e seeing in many of our toxicology screenings is a significant problem.”
鈥淭he numbers are dire,鈥� he added, citing statistics that showed 鈥渁 16% increase in the number of alcohol-positive fatally injured drivers who have also tested positive for drugs in the past decade.鈥�
In the coming weeks, you鈥檙e 鈥済oing to notice an increase in enforcement, checkpoints,鈥� vowed Domingo Herraiz, the director of programs at the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
鈥淟aw enforcement officers are particularly keen this time of year to those issues that people could be doing too much celebrating, not paying attention to the laws, breaking the laws while driving impaired.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no excuse today,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he reality is with all the ride sharing services, taxis, public transportation, there鈥檚 absolutely zero excuse. And there should be zero tolerance for anyone not to drive sober.鈥�
