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Last updated on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
(UNDATED) - Law enforcement agencies are bracing for the deadliest holiday of the year due to impaired driving crashes by increasing enforcement on our roads.
Indiana State Police Lieutenant Paul Bucher, Commander of the Bloomington Post, says troopers will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) from July 3rd through July 8th.
Operation C.A.R.E. is a federally funded program and will allow additional troopers to patrol area roadways during this upcoming holiday. Troopers will be targeting impaired drivers, motorists who speed, follow too closely, make unsafe lane changes, drive aggressively and fail to buckle up or properly restrain their children.
Statistics gathered from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that 392 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes during the 2010 July 4th holiday.
During the course of the year, 31 percent of all traffic related crashes in the United States involve an impaired driver; during the July 4th holiday that percentage jumps to 39 percent.
That is why law enforcement will be out in full force cracking down on drunk drivers during the Fourth of July holiday period with an aggressive Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement blitz. An impaired driver causes a fatality every 51 minutes. Police want drivers to be careful this week and particularly at night. The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2010 was almost five times higher at night than during the day.
Motorists need to remember the following guidelines for enjoying a safe and festive holiday without jeopardizing their lives and the lives of the others who may be on the road:
• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, please designate a sober driver and give that person your keys.
• If you're impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
• Use your community's Sober Rides program.
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don't hesitate to contact your local law enforcement.
For more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.
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