2020 Holiday DUI Enforcement

2020 HOLIDAY DUI ENFORCEMENT MOBILIZATION
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department to share the message about the dangers of impaired driving. From December 18, 2020, through January 1, 2021, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for impaired driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce impaired driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to impaired driving. Nationwide during the month of December 2018, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving an impaired driver. During the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2018 alone, there were more impaired-driving-related fatalities (285) than during any other holiday period that year. These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.
As of 12/06/2020, 61 people died this year on Vermont’s highways. This is 21 more fatalities than we had at this time last year, and we are on pace to have the highest number of fatalities since 2017. Driver impairment, speed, failure to use restraints, and distracted driving continue to be the leading causes for these tragedies.

Celebrate with a Plan

First and foremost, please think ahead. Be honest with yourself: You know whether you will attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you. Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and decide to get your friend home safely.

As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. The holidays should be an enjoyable time for our community, not a symbol for the death of a loved one due to an impaired-driving crash. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior. During the holidays, and every day, please remember that impaired driving is not only illegal, but also deadly.

KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!