Additional Information Contact:
Ann Whitehead – Highway Safety Office
(501) 618-8133 – [email protected]
(LITTLE ROCK) – Every year Americans hit the road headed for destinations to celebrate the Fourth of July at picnics, parties, parades and many other events. Unfortunately the celebrating includes drinking alcohol followed by drunk driving on streets and highways during this most heavily traveled holiday period.
Nationwide there were 397 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2014 over the Fourth of July holiday period that covered five days. Among those deaths, 164 people (41 percent) died from crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.
Arkansas law enforcement officers will be out in full force this July 4th holiday cracking down on drunk drivers by aggressively targeting those who put lives in danger.
“Don’t even think about drinking and driving this Fourth of July, or you risk being arrested,” said Colonel Bill Bryant, Arkansas State Police Director and Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “The ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign means zero tolerance for drunk driving – no excuses.”
The crackdown on drunk driving during the coming holiday period will involve state, city and county law enforcement officers devoting additional patrol hours beginning today and continuing through July 4th. The objective is to minimize the risk of fatalities.
If you’re caught driving drunk, you will be arrested and the consequences of drunk driving are serious. Not only do you put your life and the lives of others at risk, but a DWI arrest could result in a court sentence diminishing driving freedom, attorney fees, court fines and a spike in driver insurance rates.
In every state it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher, yet people continue to break the law and drive drunk.
The Arkansas Highway Safety Office recommends these simple tips to prevent drunk driving:
- Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver.
- If you have been drinking, call a taxi or someone who is sober to get you home.
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.
- If you know someone who is about to drive or operate a motorcycle while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.
For more information on the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, visit TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov or contact the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136. For more on the ongoing Toward Zero Deaths campaign, visit TZDarkansas.org.