According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,653 drivers have been killed in motor vehicle crashes from 2019 to 2023 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

Police in Carbon County will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

Every year, the Fourth of July holiday stands out as one of the deadliest times on the nation’s roads.

From 2019 to 2023, there were 2,653 drivers killed in traffic crashes during the holiday, 1,679 of whom were the driver. Thirty-eight percent (643) of those drivers were drunk. Of the 1,679 drives killed, the 21-34 age group had the highest percentage (48%) of drunken drivers.

“We want to make it clear that on this Fourth of July holiday, we will have a zero-tolerance policy against drinking and driving,” said officer Joel Gulla, Lehighton Police Department and Carbon County coordinator for the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program.

“There will be no leniency shown,” Gulla said. “We are well-trained to identify signs of drunken driving on the road. Driving under the influence is a violation of the law, and a reckless act that puts the lives of drivers, their passengers, and others on the road at extreme risk. We urge everyone to keep road safety in mind as they prepare for the celebrations. Make responsible choices to help us ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday for all.”

For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

The Pennsylvania State Police at Hazleton also announced they will be conducting sobriety checkpoint/roving DUI patrols within the southern region of Luzerne County during the month of July.

The patrols will be in support of the department’s Selective Traffic Enforcement against Drunk Driving initiative (STEADD), which is designed to reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes using sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols on a regular basis.