The Williamson County Sheriffβs Office Traffic Unit to conduct a three-day DWI initiative starting on May 28th and ending on May 30th. The initiative will consist of several units participating in high visibility patrol in areas that experience high volumes of crashes and impaired driving.
Although itβs illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk driving crash on our nationβs roads. Among the 10,142 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2019, 68% (6,872) were in crashes in which at least one driver had a BAC of .15 or higher. In 2019, motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had higher percentages of alcohol impairment than any other type of motor vehicle driver (29% for motorcycle riders, compared to drivers of passenger cars (20%), light trucks (19%), and large trucks (2%). Nighttime is a particularly dangerous time to be on the roads: The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 was 3.3 times higher at night than during the day.
βProtecting the community is our goal, and we work especially hard during these initiatives to keep the community safe from impaired drivers. We want our community to have a happy and safe Memorial Day, one that theyβll remember for years to come, for all the right reasons,β said Lieutenant Craig Gripentrog.
Celebrate with a Plan
This Memorial Day, The Williamson County Sheriffβs Office urges drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan how you will get around without driving.
Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if youβve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
- If available, use your communityβs sober ride program or ride share program.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 9-1-1.
- Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Help them make arrangements to get home safely.
This Memorial Day, commit to driving 100-percent sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
For more information on impaired driving, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
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