The Columbia Police Department is reminding folks to “drive sober or get pulled over” this holiday weekend.
During the Labor Day Weekend the CPD is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in an effort to combat drunk driving and save lives.
National statistics from 2017 show during the Labor Day weekend there were 376 fatalities. Of those, 44 percent had been drinking, 36 percent were drunk and 26 percent were driving with a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit.
“Labor Day should be a time for friends and family to come together to enjoy the last days of summer,” Police Chief Michael Kelly said in a statement. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free from drunk drivers so everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us to put an end to this senseless behavior.”
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over began Aug. 16 and ends at midnight on Sept. 2.
