Traffic fatalities in Nebraska will be at a 15-year high! If traffic fatalities continue at the current rate, we will end the year at the highest number in 15 years. Law enforcement across Nebraska is partnering with the NDOT Highway Safety Office (HSO) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to share the message about the dangers of impaired driving. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over law enforcement will be working overtime to take drunk and impaired drivers off the roads from December 16, 2022, through January 1, 2023, to help save lives. According to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, and one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 45 minutes in 2020.
This is why Nebraska Law Enforcement agencies are working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it’s a matter of life and death. As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. “It’s so important that drivers act responsibly, and that includes driving sober and wearing your seatbelt,” said Bill Kovarik, Nebraska Highway Safety Administrator.
“The holidays are a special time of year for many, and we want every person to enjoy this season. We need commitment from drivers that they’ll keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday.
This enforcement period allows us to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior,” Kovarik said. Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive.
Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service, or call a taxi or a sober friend to get home safely.
▪ Use your community’s sober ride program.
▪ If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement or Nebraska State Patrol at *55.
▪ 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.
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