Stay Safe This Labor Day Holiday
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Enforcement Begins August 14
Dearborn, MI — During the 2019 Labor Day holiday weekend, the Dearborn Police Department will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get impaired drivers off the roads and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 14 through September 2, 2019. During this period local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk and drugged 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.
Chief Haddad stated, “Labor Day should be a time for friends and family to come together to enjoy the last days of summer. During this campaign we want to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal, and causes deaths on our roadways. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior so that everyone can enjoy the holiday.”
The Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of drunk driving fatalities. In 2018, there were 12 traffic fatalities over the holiday weekend in Michigan, with six crashes involving alcohol. In Michigan, the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities was approximately 11 times higher than fatalities in all crashes and the serious injury level was about six times higher.
Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road. Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem. In Michigan, the number of fatal crashes involving drivers who tested positive for cannabinoid drugs has nearly doubled since 2013. If drivers are impaired by any substance—alcohol or drugs—they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“Driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime,” said Chief Haddad. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why during the Labor Day holiday we will make zero exceptions for drunk and drugged driving. There are just no excuses.”
“One Team – One Mission – One Dearborn”
Media contact: Chief Ronald Haddad 313-943-2235