Stay Sober Now That the Summer Is Over

As fall approaches, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind drivers about its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign by letting everyone know that it is illegal everywhere in the United States to drive with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or greater. Knowing this, it is remarkable that every year in the USA, approximately a third of all fatalities on our highways and roads involve drunk driving. For example, in 2016, 10,497 people were killed in drunk driving collisions. In 2017, almost one-half of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who died in crashes during Labor Day were determined to be legally intoxicated.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will include community announcements and ads to remind the motoring public about the risks and dangers of driving while drunk. Likewise, the police will be out in full force in order to identify and arrest drunk drivers, which will help to protect all of us who travel on local roadways, state turnpikes, and US highways. NHTSA also points out that being arrested for drunk driving comes with high-cost fines, increased auto insurance premiums, and related expenses.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has expanded its message to let people know that impaired driving also includes driving under the influence of drugs. According to NHTSA, new ads being generated will remind drivers that it is against the law to drive while impaired by a drug or medication, legal or illegal. Another way NHTSA likes to put it is to say, “If you feel different, you drive different” and “Drive high, get a DUI.”

Simply stated, there is no excuse for driving while drunk, impaired, or intoxicated. NHTSA wants to remind everyone that there are a number of easy alternatives to getting behind the wheel of a car, truck, or motorcycle while drunk. All you have to do is pick up a phone and call a friend, a taxi, or a ride-sharing app. Remember, driving drunk is a choice — one that could have devastating and irreversible consequences.

The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter are concerned for the safety of the motoring public in Reading, Berks County, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. The injury lawyers near Philadelphia serve auto, truck, and motorcycle accident victims and their families in claims and cases involving serious injury and death caused by the negligence of others. The firm also handles workers’ comp and medical malpractice cases.