2022 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

FACT SHEET

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the law enforcement community nationwide during the 2022 holiday season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement impaired driving campaign, which runs from December 16, 2022, through January 1, 2023. NHTSA and Columbia County Law Enforcement are working tirelessly to spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving and to remind all drivers: If you plan to drink alcohol, plan ahead for a sober ride home.

Drunk Driving: The Sobering Statistics

• Between December 2016-2020, there were more than 4,400 people killed in drunk-driving-related crashes.

• Male drunk drivers were involved in fatal crashes at a much higher rate (660) in December 2020 compared to female drivers (191).

• Male drivers were three times more likely (3,229) to be involved in an alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle traffic crash than females (1,106) in December 2020.

• Young people ages 21-34 accounted for the highest percentage (26%) of alcohol-impaired fatalities in December 2020.

• Nighttime driving in December 2020 was significantly more dangerous than daytime driving, with 30% of drunk-driving-related crashes occurring between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:50 a.m. Almost half (44%) occur between the hours of midnight and 2:59 a.m., likely when bars are closing and people are driving home.

• Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs at or above .08). In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes.

• Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL.

• Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2020 one person was killed every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.

• Men are more likely than women to be driving drunk when involved in fatal crashes. In 2020, 22% of males were drunk, compared to 16% of females.

• The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2020 was 3.1 times higher at night than during the day.

The Cost of Drunk Driving

• The average DUI costs $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, and more.

• The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.

• If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time. That arrest will follow you for many years to come. 

• Drinking and driving can cause you to lose your driver’s license and your vehicle. This could prevent you from getting to work, resulting in lost wages and, potentially, job loss.

Plan for a Safe Celebration

Always remember to plan ahead when you will be celebrating with alcohol. If you plan to drink, make arrangements for a sober driver to take you home. Before you start celebrating this holiday season, look over these safety tips to keep you, your loved ones, and everyone else safe on the road.

• Plan ahead: If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make a smart decision, you might not. Before you have one drink, designate a sober driver who won’t be drinking.

• You have options: designate a sober driver, call a taxi, or use a rideshare service. Getting home safely is always worth it. Some communities even have a sober ride program [insert local sober ride details here].

• If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.

• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact [Local Law Enforcement].

• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.
  
  
  

For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/drunk-driving/drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over/holiday-season.