DRIVE SOBER THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY, AND EVERY DAY: BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING

This Independence Day, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, SAFE Coalition and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration want to remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Unfortunately, the summertime merrymaking can create dangerous road conditions, as some drivers hit the streets after drinking alcoholic beverages. Make sure you celebrate the birth of our nation safely. If you are under the influence of any substance and you choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you put everyone in a vehicle on the road in danger, including yourself. During the Fourth of July holiday, make sure you plan for a safe weekend of festivities.

According to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, drunk driving accounted for 29% (10,511) of motor vehicle traffic crash deaths in 2018. With Fourth of July festivities wrapping up in the evening or late at night, more vehicles will be on the road at night. In 2018 alone, 193 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. July 3 to 5:59 a.m. July 5). Forty percent (78) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. This compares to 2017 when 38% of the July 4 holiday period fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

We want our community to have a happy and safe Independence Day, one that they’ll remember for years to come, for all the right reasons. We have partnered with NHTSA to help remind drivers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Under no circumstance is it ever okay to drink and drive. This behavior is illegal, it’s deadly, and it’s selfish. Do everyone in our community a favor: If you have been drinking at a Fourth of July party, or for any occasion, find a sober ride home. If you are drunk or high, or even a little buzzed, we are begging you: Stay off the roads. Drunk driving is deadly. If you plan to be the sober driver, then don’t indulge — your friends are relying on you.

This Fourth of July, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, SAFE Coalition and NHTSA urge drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan how you will get around without driving. Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan for a way to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

This Fourth of July, commit to driving 100-percent sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/drunk-driving/buzzed-driving-drunk-driving/4th-july.