With always the potential for adverse weather and road conditions rolled into the heavy volume of homeward bound Thanksgiving revelers, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shoppers, professional and high school championship football fans off to see their teams in action and more, the final days of November have become a dangerous time to be on the roads. Especially with the party atmosphere that highlights the long holiday weekend.
In their ongoing bid to keep everyone as safe as possible, law enforcement will amp up their Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign starting tomorrow and running through December 10th.
The long weekend and beyond is typically celebrated through dinners, sports activities, and shopping as families and friends enjoy the waning days of autumn. Thanksgiving can also be deadly, with impaired drivers endangering themselves and others on America’s roadways.
Law Enforcement from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, Saint Joseph City Department of Public Safety, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, New Buffalo City Police Department, and the Bridgman City Police Department will all be watching.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says, “If we see you driving while impaired we will stop and arrest you. No second chances.” He adds, “As you head out to Thanksgiving festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
The high-visibility enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from November 22, 2017 through December 10, 2017. During that 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 the nation’s roadways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,265 fatalities in 2015 in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher. That comprised 29-percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide for the year.
In the United States, a person is killed in a drunk driving crash every 51 minutes, according to Bailey.
Ten people lost their lives on Michigan roads during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday period. Throughout 2016, 416 people died in Michigan as a result of alcohol and/or drug-involved traffic crashes, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
In Michigan, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, although motorists can be arrested at any BAC level if an officer believes they are impaired. Motorists face enhanced penalties if arrested for a drunk driving offense with a .17 BAC or higher.
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds coordinated by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
