State Police are participating again in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which started on Friday and continues through New Year’s Day. The holiday campaign increases drunk driving enforcement. Additional troopers will be patrolling major highways and sobriety checkpoints will be conducted. Unmarked State Police patrol vehicles are also on highways. Police are also watching for distracted drivers, people who are not properly buckled and “Move Over Law” violations. State Police issued more than 38,000 tickets statewide during last year’s campaign. More than 630 drivers were charged with DWI, more than 11,000 drivers were ticketed for speeding and 1,500 drivers were ticketed for distracted driving. During the 2012 holiday season, there were 1,698 people nationwide killed on the road with nearly a third of the deaths related to drunk driving, according to State Police. On Christmas Day that year, drunk drivers killed 26 people. To keep roads safe, State Police and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer the following tips: Plan a safe way home before celebrating.
Designate a sober driver before drinking.
If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. Use a sober ride program if available.
Report any suspected drunk drivers on the road to police.
If you see someone about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements.