This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is partnering with Carbon County Police to share the message about the dangers of drunken driving.

NHTSA and Carbon County Police Departments want all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, officers will work together from Dec. 15 through Jan. 1 to take drunken drivers off the roads.

These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.

According to NHTSA, 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of traffic crash fatalities. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 - one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019.

This is why Carbon County Police are working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunken driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. When heading out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“It’s so important that drivers act responsibly, and that includes refraining from impaired driving,” said Officer Joel Gulla, Lehighton Police Department and Carbon County Coordinator for the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program. “The holidays are a special time of year for most, and we really want our community members to enjoy this season. We need commitment from our drivers that they’ll keep the roads free of drunken drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunken driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior,” Gulla said.

During the month of December 2019, 837 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunken driver. During the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2019 alone, there were more drunk-driving-related fatalities (210) than during any other holiday period that year. These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance - alcohol or other drugs - is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.

Carbon County Police and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely.

“Drunken driving is not acceptable behavior,” officer Gulla said. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. There are too many resources to get you home safely. There are just no excuses for drunken driving,” Gulla said.

Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is 0.05. Anyone caught drinking and driving could face jail time, lose their driver’s license and vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

Designated drivers should make sure they keep that promise of safety to themselves and their passengers.

Carbon County Police recommend these safe alternatives:

• Remember that it is never OK to drink and drive. Even those who have had only one alcoholic beverage should designate a sober driver, or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

• If available, they should use their community’s UBER and LYFT. If they see a drunken driver on the road, contact 911

• Those with friends who are about to drink and drive? Take the keys and make arrangements to get friends home safely.

For more information about the 2021 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.