Annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign Underway

The annual ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ holiday DUI education and enforcement campaign is underway reminding motorists to make the smart decision to never drink and drive.

GOHS Director Allen Poole says state troopers and local law enforcement officers are stepping up traffic enforcement during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday season and will take any drunk or drugged driver they find to jail.

“The only way to prevent people from dying in drunk driving crashes is for everyone to make the smart decision to not drink and drive this holiday weekend and every day of the year,” said Poole.

The Christmas travel period is 78-hours long, from 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 26. The 78-hour New Year’s holiday period will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, and end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Georgia State Patrol, GOHS Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) units, and GOHS Traffic Enforcement Network members kicked off the increased enforcement effort on December 15.

It’s part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ mobilization, which runs through January 2.

According to NHTSA, approximately one out of three traffic deaths in the United States involve a driver whose Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level is .08 or higher.

Poole says the goal of the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is to eliminate all drunk driving deaths by getting all motorists to always make the wise decision to not get behind the wheel when they are over the limit.

GOHS also offers the following tips for having save travels on Georgia roads during the holidays:

•Plan ahead with a designated driver. Don’t wait until you’ve already started drinking.
•If you find yourself suddenly in need of a sober ride home, call a sober friend, taxi or rideshare service.
•If you’re having a few family members or friends over to celebrate, be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks available for designated drivers and offer guests the option of staying over if they appear to be too impaired to drive.
•If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 9-1-1, *GSP or your local law enforcement agency.

AAA expects to respond to as many as 917,000 calls for help from the more than 100 million Americans planning to drive over the holidays.

Motorists need to be prepared for slowdowns and breakdowns.