Police Launch ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’

Police in the Merrimack Valley are joining forces with over 148 law enforcement agencies statewide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization effort. The program, funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division, kicked off yesterday and will continue through Labor Day, September 1.

Authorities say Impaired driving is one of America’s most often committed and deadliest crimes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2012 in Massachusetts, 123 people were killed in crashes that involved drivers with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher.

NHTSA also reports that on average, there is one alcohol impaired driving fatality every 51 minutes across America. The number of drivers operating under the influence increases during holiday weekends, especially during summer holidays, with one alcohol impaired driving fatality every 34 minutes during Labor Day weekend.