08/20/2021
2021 Labor Day Weekend Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
FACT SHEET
This Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working together with the law enforcement community to decrease impaired driving. NHTSA and [Local Law Enforcement] are working tirelessly to spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving and to remind all drivers: If you plan to drink alcohol, plan ahead for a sober driver. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.
Labor Day 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.
• [Local Labor Day statistic if available.]
Sobering Statistics
• Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs at or above .08). In 2019, there were 10,142 people killed in drunk-driving crashes.
• Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 BAC.
• Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.
• Men are more likely than women to be driving drunk when involved in fatal crashes. In 2019, 21% of males were drunk, compared to 14% of females.
• Of the traffic fatalities in 2019 among children 14 and younger, 19% (204) occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.
• Among the 10,142 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2019, 68% (6,872) were in crashes in which at least one driver had a BAC of .15 or higher.
• Nighttime is a particularly dangerous time to be on the roads: The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 was 3.3 times higher at night than during the day.
The Cost of Drunk Driving
• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more.
• If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time. Imagine trying to explain that to your friends and family or your place of employment.
• Drinking and driving can cause you to lose your driver’s license and your vehicle. This could inhibit you from getting to work, resulting in lost wages and, potentially, job loss.
• The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.
Celebrate with a Plan
Always remember to plan ahead if you will be celebrating. If you plan to drink, plan ahead for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously and do not consume alcohol, not even one drink.
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If available, use your community’s sober ride program [Insert your local sober ride program specifics here].
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact [Local Law Enforcement].
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
