TRUMANN, Ark. – This holiday season, Trumann Police will be out looking for drunk drivers as part of a special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization.
“Beginning December 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said Cpl. Justin Hooton. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk driving.”
With the excitement of holiday parties and celebrations, too many drivers are taking to the roadways after drinking. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that any decision to drive while impaired can have serious and even deadly consequences. Nationally in 2015, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 29 percent (10,265) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the limit of .08.
From 2011-2015, 14,034 people lost their lives in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the month of December, and twenty-eight percent (3,983) died in a crash that involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher.
“This ought to be the ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ so we will do what it takes to help save lives by keeping our roads safe,” said Sgt. Chad Mason. “If you choose to drive impaired, not only will you risk your safety, and that of others, but you will also face the legal consequences.”
Drunk driving offenders often serve jail time, lose their driver’s license, are charged higher insurance rates, and pay dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. But the ultimate cost of drunk driving is causing a traffic crash that injures or kills.
Follow these tips to stay safe on the road this holiday season:
● If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.
● If you become intoxicated, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. Try NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, which allows users to call a taxi or friend and identify their location so they can be picked up.
● If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a safe way home.
● If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life.
Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive. Trumann Police will be looking for drunk drivers. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
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