‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign began today

Runs through Sept. 7

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2015) — The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) is participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which began today and runs through Sept. 7.

The nationwide impaired driving crackdown includes high-visibility enforcement and high-profile events, and is supported by national paid advertising provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Law enforcement officers aggressively patrol for impaired drivers year-round,” said Bill Bell, KOHS executive director. “However, by joining this effort, they are making Kentucky’s roadways safer for everyone during the heavily-traveled Labor Day holiday.”

In Kentucky in 2014, there were more than 4,300 collisions involving alcohol, resulting in more than 2,000 injuries and 113 fatalities. During the Labor Day holiday weekend, 14 people were killed and 297 were injured on our roadways. One of those deaths involved alcohol.

“Drunken driving fatalities are 100-percent preventable,” Bell said. “If you choose to drink, choose a designated driver. It’s that simple.”

Kentucky residents can find sober ride options by using the free Drive Sober Kentucky app. The app provides phone numbers to taxi and limousine services and sober ride programs, along with a one-touch dial feature to report a drunken driver and information about the designated driver HERO campaign.

“Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk,” Bell said. “If you decide to drink and drive, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.”

According to NHTSA, on average, there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America. High-visibility enforcement such as the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign reduces alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.