OIL CITY – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reminds motorists to never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol in advance of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
This week marked 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 Sept. 4.
According to PennDOT data, there were 1,214 crashes across the state last year during Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2 to 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:
To help make smart choices related to impaired driving, consider the following tips:
