You can expect a watchful eye from law enforcement across the region over the holiday weekend ahead as another “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign gets underway.
Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Robert Boyce says that as the Fourth of July holiday nears, law enforcement in Berrien County are once again participating in the Impaired Driving Awareness Campaign. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you will see officers working together during the holiday weekend to take alcohol and drug-impaired drivers off the roads. Boyce says the 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 alcohol-impaired driver. Since Fourth of July festivities wrap up late in the evening, more cars are on the roads at night. In 2019, a total of 515 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide over the July 4th holiday period (6pm July 3rd to 5:59am July 8th). Thirty-eight percent (198) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
In Michigan, nearly 42-percent of fatalities on state roadways in 2020 involved alcohol and/or drugs. Statewide, throughout 2020, there were 9,078 alcohol-related crashes in which 326 people lost their lives and 3,040 drug-involved crashes with 267 fatalities.
In Michigan, from 2016 to 2020, there were 39 drivers killed in crashes during the Fourth of July holiday periods, including six (15.4-percent) who were alcohol-impaired. Last year during the 2020 July 4th holiday period, 17 people were killed in crashes.
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says, “We want our community to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday, but we also want responsible drivers on the roads,” and adds, “We repeat this message constantly, but it is still a critical issue: Impaired driving is deadly and illegal. Remember if you are caught drinking and driving, we will pull you over, and you will likely be arrested. Driving under the influence of any substance will land you a DUI.”
From 2015 to 2019, there were 1,339 drivers killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the Fourth of July holiday periods. Thirty-eight percent (512) of the drivers killed were alcohol-impaired (BAC of .08 or higher). During the 2019 July 4th holiday period, 69-percent of those who died in alcohol-impaired crashes were in a crash involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above .15.
Nighttime hours are especially dangerous: Over the 2019 July 4th holiday period, of the 198 people, who died in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes, almost 4-out-of 5 (79-percent) occurred in nighttime crashes (6pm – 5:59am). Sheriff Bailey says, “Sadly, many people think driving impaired is no big deal,” noting, “We’ve seen it all, and we can spot an impaired driver on the road. A DUI will follow you throughout your life, so this is a gamble that’s just not worth taking. Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking or using drugs. Doing so endangers you, your passengers, and everyone on the road with you.”
