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    PennDOT, Safety Partners Reminds Motorists to Drive Sober Ahead of Labor Day

    August 16, 2023

    ​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and its safety partners are reminding motorists to never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol in advance of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

    Today marks the start of a national mobilization, during which law enforcement agencies will ramp up enforcement activities geared at deterring impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

    The heightened enforcement effort extends through Labor Day on Monday, September 4, 2023.

    According to PennDOT data, there were 1,214 crashes across the state last year during Labor Day weekend, September 2 to September 5, 2022, which resulted in 17 fatalities and 81 injuries. Of these crashes, 27 were drug-related and 114 were alcohol-related.

    In the northwest region alone, there were 53 Labor Day weekend crashes in 2022, resulting in 29 injuries and two fatalities.

    "Our roads are immediately safer when people make smart choices to plan ahead for a sober ride home," said Austin Soboleski, a traffic safety specialist with the Highway Safety Network. "Lives are senselessly lost in impaired driving crashes that are 100 percent avoidable. Don't put your life, or someone else's, on the line."

    Some effects of drug and alcohol use on driving include:

    • Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can impair the ability to drive because they slow coordination, judgment, and reaction times.

    • Cocaine and methamphetamine can make drivers more aggressive and reckless.

    • Using two or more drugs at the same time, including alcohol, can amplify the impairing effects of each drug a person has consumed.

    • Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects. Read and follow all warning labels before driving and note that warnings against "operating heavy machinery" include driving a vehicle.

    To help make smart choices related to impaired driving, consider the following tips:

    • Plan ahead for a sober driver if you plan to use an impairing drug.

    • Don't let friends get behind the wheel if they're under the influence of drugs.

    • If you're hosting a party where alcohol or other substances will be used, it's your job to make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.

    • Always wear your seat belt—it's your best defense against impaired drivers.

    Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #BeSafePA, #DriveSober, #Designated Driver, and #LaborDay.

    For more information on impaired driving or other traffic safety topics, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.

    Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.PennDOT.pa.gov/District1.

    Follow local PennDOT news on Twitter and like the department on Facebook.
     
     

    Contact: Saxon Daugherty, 814-678-7095 or sadaughert@pa.gov


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