The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today launched its annual holiday Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over national enforcement campaign. This is the Department’s latest initiative to protect American families and drive down road fatalities, which are the lowest since 2019.

Starting Friday, Dec. 12, through New Year’s Day, law enforcement officers nationwide will be stepping up their patrols to identify and stop impaired drivers. The high-visibility enforcement ad campaign will run on TV, radio and digital platforms, including social media.

Alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes in the United States, especially during the holiday season. In 2023, 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving traffic crashes, accounting for nearly one third of all traffic crash fatalities nationwide. Men ages 21-34 were the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes, and one person died every 42 minutes in an alcohol-impaired driving crash in 2023.

“We are encouraged that deaths on our nation’s roads continue to decline significantly,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said. “Under Secretary Duffy, we have strengthened our partnership with law enforcement, as they are critical to pulling dangerous drivers off the road and reducing the number of lives lost. This holiday season, we encourage everyone to plan ahead for a sober ride and do their part to help make our roads safe for Americans.”

New NHTSA early estimates suggest that road fatalities have dropped by roughly 6.4% compared with the same period in 2024, even as Americans collectively drove about 25 billion more miles. The fatality rate for the first nine months of 2025 decreased to 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from the projected 1.19 fatality rate from the same time in 2024. From January to September 2025, NHTSA projects that an estimated 27,365 people died in traffic crashes, as compared to the 29,245 fatalities projected for the same months in 2024.

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Administrator Morrison unveiled the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” at District E, an esports arena, with Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department Assistant Chief of Police Robert Blakley; Alison Birdwell, president of Aramark Sports + Entertainment; Brian Baldinger, former NFL player and current commentator and analyst; and Michele Mirowicz Hobart, a MADD advocate who lost her daughter to a drunk driver.

In addition to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Drive High, Get a DUI reminds drivers that cannabis and other drugs impair their ability to drive safely and can result in an impaired-driving charge. Drive High, Get a DUI highlights law enforcement’s goal of stopping drug-impaired drivers and spreading awareness about the increased law enforcement presence on the nation’s roads during this period.  

NHTSA urges everyone to plan ahead and never drive after drinking or using any other impairing substance. Instead, designate a sober driver or call a ride-hailing service or taxi to make sure you get home safely. If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911.

Visit NHTSA’s website for more information about drunk and drug-impaired driving. For more campaign materials, please visit TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.