'Tis the Season to Drive Sober
LAKE OSWEGO – Our police department wants to remind you that 'Tis the Season to Drive Sober: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
It’s hard to have a happy holiday when you’re arrested for drunk driving. Keep the season merry and bright by following the law and refusing to drink and drive. During this busy winter holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (@nhtsagov) is teaming up with the Lake Oswego Police Department to urge drivers to think twice before drinking and driving. NHTSA and the Lake Oswego Police Department want all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Drivers will see officers working on a special high-visibility enforcement campaign to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving from December 15, 2023, through January 1, 2024.
Tragically, December can be a dangerous time for people on the roads. During the 2017-2021 December months, there were more than 4,500 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Male drivers are far more likely to be impacted by drunk driving: In December 2021, male drivers were almost four times more likely (721) to be alcohol-impaired and involved in a fatal traffic crash than females (208). More parties and festivities celebrating the season bring out more drunk drivers. NHTSA and the Lake Oswego Police Department urge drivers to always make a plan before heading out to a celebration.
According to NHTSA, 13,384 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021 involved alcohol-impaired drivers. This represented 31% of all traffic fatalities in the United States for the year and a 14.2% increase from 2020. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
The Lake Oswego Police Department wants to remind you there are plenty of options to help impaired drivers get home safely, such as designating a sober driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. If you see an impaired driver on the road, you can call 911 and report them immediately. If you see an impaired person you think will drive, but is not yet driving, you can call our non-emergency number (503) 635-0238.
###
