Labor Day DUI Campaign

Don’t Pay, Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Many Americans look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely. This Labor Day weekend, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18 through September 6, 2021. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in our community, you’ll see officers working together during this holiday weekend to take impaired drivers off the roads. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019, and one person was killed in an impaired driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019. This is why the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, but also a matter of life and death. As you head out to the Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were impaired (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: 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 impaired, with BACs of .08 or higher.

The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

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.
Do you have a friend who intends to drive impaired? Be the friend to take the keys away to ensure your friend gets home safely.

As of 08/02/2021, 34 people have died on Vermont highways (26 operators, 4 passengers and 4 pedestrians). Driver impairment, speed, failure to use safety restraints and distracted driving continue to be the leading causes for these tragedies. Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department – Keeping You Safe!!

High visibility enforcement has been the key to success in Grand Isle County evident in minimal law enforcement response to serious injury crashes or fatalities. Please continue to help us prevent senseless tragedies! Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department – Keeping You Safe!!!!!