The holiday season “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign begins today in St. Clair County and throughout the country. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in partnership with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office are working to encourage safe and sober driving this holiday season. The national enforcement campaign runs until December 31st. During this period, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office and officers from several police departments throughout the county will continue to show zero tolerance for drunk and drugged driving. The increased patrols, along with increased messages about the dangers of driving while impaired, aim to drastically reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries on the roadways. “We understand that people enjoy attending parties, especially during this time of year,” said St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon. “We need to make sure people get the message to make the smart decision to drive sober. It’s important to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave to attend a party. There are many options for a sober ride, including friends and family, buses, taxies, Uber, etc. There are just no excuses to drive impaired.” NHTSA statistics show there is still a lot of work to be done to put an end to impaired driving. In 2017, 10,784 people across the nation were killed in drunk driving crashes. In December of last year, 885 people lost their lives countrywide in crashes involving drunk drivers. Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road. If drivers are impaired by any substance-alcohol or drugs- they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Driving impaired for any reason is illegal, period.
