LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — During this busy winter holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Arkansas law enforcement are teaming up to remind drivers: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. This high-visibility impaired driving awareness and enforcement campaign runs December 11, 2024, through January 1, 2025. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their jurisdictions, drivers will see officers working together during the holiday season to take drunk drivers off the roads.

Alcohol-impaired driving is deadly and continues to be a factor in fatal traffic crashes in the United States, especially during the holidays. During the 2018-2022 December months, there were 4,759 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. In December 2022 alone, 1,062 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. Unfortunately, males and young people are at greatest risk for injury or fatality: In December 2022, drunk male drivers were involved in fatal crashes at a much higher rate (22%) compared to female drivers (16%), and young drivers ages 21-34 accounted for the highest percentage (25%) of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes.

“Drunk driving is deadly and illegal, and it should never be an option for getting home,” said Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar. “We want our communities to have a joy-filled holiday season, but we want everyone to do so responsibly, and that means refraining from drinking and driving. There are too many choices for a safe ride home. Use them,” he said.

Drivers should be safe during the holidays by planning ahead if they intend to drink. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person’s judgment. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.

Celebrate with a plan
• Arkansas law enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• It’s never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get to your destination safely. Plan a safe way home before you leave.

• If you’ve been drinking, call a taxi, ride-share service or a designated sober driver to drive you home. 

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1.

• If you know someone who is about to drive or operate a motorcycle or any other vehicle while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

• Always buckle up. Your seat belt is your best defense against a drunk driver.

For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136, and go to https://www.tzdarkansas.org/ to learn about Arkansas’ Toward Zero Deaths campaign to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities.