[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a subdivision of the United States Department of Transportation. In 2020, National Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns will occur between August 19 and September 7. During this time, the administration will air anti-drunk- driving advertisements, as well as mobilize law enforcement..
According to NHTSA, nearly 30 people die in the United States each day from drunk driving car crashes. These crashes claim more than 10,000 lives each year, 10,511 in 2018 alone. NHTSA considers these incidents to be at epidemic levels.
According to Traffic Safety Marketing, drunk driving is usually most prevalent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaigns are administered throughout the holiday season, and on other heavy-drinking holidays such as Fourth of July.
In the United States, driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or more is considered impaired driving. When a person’s BAC is .08, they have poor muscle coordination, poor judgement, loss of self-control and reasoning, compromised concentration, memory loss, and impaired perceptions. Although not as exaggerated, people can become impaired with a BAC as low as .02.
In addition to awareness campaigns like “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving,” the United States Department of Transportation has implemented many strategies to curtail drunk driving. These include: making law enforcement highly visible, revoking and/or suspending licenses, implementing designated driver programs, offering training programs for bartenders and servers, and intervening with repeated offenders through drug and alcohol testing, treatment and follow-up.
According to the Adult Drug Court Treatment Program in Montgomery County, Maryland, the program’s mission is “to eliminate substance abuse, crime, and their consequence, by forging continuing partnerships with the court, health treatment providers, concerned community organizations and law enforcement.” Examples of diversion programs like Montgomery County’s exist across the country.
According to an article from alcohol.org, those who attend treatment programs rather than incarceration tend to have higher retention rates, not only because “avoiding jail time may depend on staying in treatment or the amount of time in treatment is their sentence,” but also that those clients will experience benefits “from counseling, complementary treatments, social support, and detox or maintenance medications.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with Substance Use Disorder, there is help. At TruHealing Centers across the country, we offer premier drug and alcohol treatment at each level of the addiction-related continuum of care. To learn which level of care is right for you, call an Admissions Specialist today at (410) 593-0005. Addiction is treatable, and recovery is possible. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]