“We are happy to endorse this important effort,” Fallin said. “Last year in Oklahoma, 245 people died in alcohol-related crashes and more than 6,500 people were injured. These are deaths and injuries that could have been avoided if people had not made the irresponsible choice to drink and drive.”
All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have established a threshold making it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. The annual nationwide enforcement effort focuses on impaired driving prevention with a goal of reducing roadway fatalities.
“One of the major threats to motorists on our streets and highways is the impaired driver, and that’s one reason the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is so important,” Fallin said. “We greatly appreciate the efforts of all the police departments, sheriffs’ offices and highway patrol troops taking part in this effort.”
In 2009, the latest year for which nationwide data is available, nearly 12,000 people died across the U.S. in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or over the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer terrible consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life,” said Commissioner Michael C. Thompson of the Department of Public Safety. “In Oklahoma, we’re committed to ending this type of tragedy.”
Law enforcement officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers 24 hours a day during the mobilization period, which includes the Labor Day holiday weekend.
For more information, visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org.
