Special Enforcement: 2023 Holiday Season Impaired Driving

This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with The Seaside Police Department (SPD) to share the message about the dangers of drunk driving. NHTSA and SPD 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, you’ll see officers working together December 13 through January 1, 2024, to take drunk 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 SPD is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

During the month of December 2019, 837 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk 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.

Understand the Risks

Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08% or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05%. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. Stay hydrated with water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Support other designated drivers, too. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets.

Take the role of designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.

Celebrate with a Plan

SPD recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If available, call a cab. Using a local cab service is a safe and affordable option.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact SPD by calling the non-emergency line 503-738-6311 but if it is an emergency call 911.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? If you can do it in a safe manner, take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Thank you and we hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Any questions contact:

Officer M. Brown
mjbrown@cityofseaside.us
503-738-6311
1091 S Holladay Dr.
Seaside OR 97138

For more information about the 2023 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

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