Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Kickoff Event

Good morning, and welcome to the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia. I’m Peter Simshauser, Chief Counsel of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. We’re here today to kick off our annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign ahead of the busy Labor Day holiday weekend.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of the summer vacation season, and many families will be fitting in a road trip before school starts. Millions will be visiting a national park – in fact, where we’re standing right now is National Park Service land. It’s part of the historic George Washington Memorial Parkway, which Congress created in 1930 as Sunday drives became a national pastime. The parkway offers scenic views of the monuments in D.C. and takes you from the Great Falls of the Potomac all the way south to Washington’s Mount Vernon home.

Whether you’re going to a park near you, or hundreds of miles away, NHTSA wants to make sure you and your loved ones arrive safely. And the best way to do that is to drive sober.

More than 12,000 people were killed in an impaired-driving crash in 2023, and impaired driving is 100% preventable. Our Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement campaign starts tomorrow and runs through Labor Day, and law enforcement agencies, states, and safety organizations will be joining us to spread the word.

One of the champions of safe driving is the National Park Service, which maintains 5,600 miles of paved roads nationwide – plus another 7,500 miles of unpaved roads. Impaired driving, along with speeding, remains a serious problem in our national parks.

Over the next two and a half weeks, law enforcement officers across the country will be stepping up their patrols to identify and stop impaired drivers. NHTSA is firmly committed to supporting law enforcement in their work to keep our roads safe. An officer may be the reason why a family makes it home safe instead of being killed by an impaired driver.

Thirty percent of all fatalities in 2023 involved at least one driver who was impaired. Traffic enforcement saves lives, and I am grateful to all of our men and women in blue for their work to make our roads safer.

NHTSA’s high-visibility enforcement campaign starts on Friday, Aug. 15, and runs through Labor Day. Officers will also be on the lookout for drug-impaired drivers, as cannabis and other drugs can impair someone’s ability to drive safely. Driving impaired by a drug, even one prescribed by a doctor, can result in a DUI just like alcohol. Like our campaign says, Drive High, Get a DUI.

We’ll also be running messages reminding motorcyclists to Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over. In 2023, 41% of riders who died in single-motorcycle crashes were alcohol impaired.

Impaired driving is 100% preventable. There’s no excuse for getting behind the wheel or on a bike while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Please plan ahead and arrange for a sober ride home, use transit, or call a cab or book a rideshare if you’ve had anything that makes you unsafe to drive.

Don’t forget: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Officers will be out in force over the next few weeks identifying and stopping impaired drivers. They’re enforcing the law to help save lives and keep impaired drivers from hurting themselves or others on the road.

As you make your Labor Day plans whether it’s a short trip near home or a road trip of many miles, make a plan for a safe and sober ride home.

With that, we’ll conclude today’s event. Thank you to everyone joining us in person and thank you to those of you watching us virtually. We are grateful that you were all able to join us, and please stay safe.