Independence Day Weekend Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign 

Camdenton, MO, 07-01-22 - This Independence Day, sheriff's deputies in Camden County are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign. The primary goal of the law enforcement presence will be to prevent the tragedies previously seen around the July 4th holiday. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes that involved an alcohol-impaired driver in 2020. That same year, 493 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. July 2 to 5:59 a.m. July 6). Forty-one percent (201) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

It's important to understand that impairment can occur even after just one or two alcoholic drinks.

From 2016 to 2020, there were 1,390 drivers killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the 4th of July holiday period. Thirty-nine percent (542) of the drivers killed were alcohol-impaired (with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), and more than half (51%) were between the ages of 21-34. With many Fourth of July festivities wrapping up late in the evening, nighttime hours are especially dangerous: Over the 2020 July 4th holiday period, of the 201 people who died in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle traffic crashes, 85% of the crashes were at night (6 p.m.-5:59 a.m.). 

Celebrate with a Plan

This Fourth of July, the Camden County Sheriff's Office and NHTSA are working together to urge drivers to designate a sober driver before drinking any alcohol. If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving.

Remember that it's never okay to drink and drive. Even if you've had only one alcoholic beverage, the Camden County Sheriff's Office recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely. It could save you $10,000 on a DUI.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the sheriff's office or your local law enforcement agency immediately.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

This Fourth of July, commit to only driving 100-percent sober. Don't lose your independence on Independence Day, and don't be a deadly risk to yourself and other innocent people. Remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.