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Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Holiday Crackdown

 

Secretary Ray LaHood

--Remarks as Prepared--

Drunk Driving Holiday Crackdown

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”

Washington, DC

December 13, 2012

  • Thank you, David.
     
  • I appreciate all of you joining us to kick off our annual drunk driving crackdown campaign for the holiday season.
     
  • First, I want to thank each and every one of the dedicated officers who have joined us today.
     
  • It’s an honor for me to stand beside The Wall of Blue and to make this announcement with our law enforcement allies.
     
  • Their hard work is critical to our mission of preventing drinking and driving.
     
  • This holiday season, more than 10,000 officers will be out on the street to enforce a simple safety message, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
  • As part of this campaign, we are sponsoring nationwide television ads featuring “invisible police officers.” 
     
  • This means that they will see you before you see them.
     
  • We need to face the facts: A large number of holiday festivities involve alcohol.  
     
  • And far too many people make the irresponsible and dangerous decision to drive after drinking.
     
  • That has to stop.
     
  • I’m proud to say that we are making progress on our roads and highways.
     
  • In 2011, we saw the lowest number of U.S. roadway deaths in six decades.
     
  • At the same time, one in three highway fatalities last year were related to alcohol.
     
  • And in the last half of December 2011, 395 people died in highway crashes.
     
  • Each of these deaths is one too many.
     
  • The holiday season is about family. We want everyone to enjoy the holidays and get home safely to their families.  
     
  • The bottom line is simple: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
     
  • Thank you.
Updated: Thursday, December 13, 2012