Hope Police Department participating in Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

HOPE, Ark. (KSLA) - Until Independence Day, Hope Police Department (HPD) will be participating in an impaired driving awareness campaign.

From June 29 - July 4, HPD will be actively campaigning by spreading information and keeping a sharp eye out for intoxicated drivers. For good reason, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 11,654 people were killed in vehicle crashes that involved an alcohol-impaired driver in 2020. That same year, 493 people died in vehicle crashes during the July 4 holiday period. Forty-one percent of those fatalities were due to alcohol intoxication.

“While we wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday, we need to be clear about drunk driving,” said Assistant Chief Tomlin. “a DUI costs thousands of dollars and puts you and your passengers and everyone on the road at risk.”

Between the years 2016 - 2020, 1,390 drivers were killed in vehicle accidents over the 4th of July holiday period. About 39 percent of the drivers killed were alcohol-impaired (with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), and more than half of those people were between the ages of 21-34. Over the 2020 July 4th holiday period, of the 201 people who died in alcohol-impaired vehicle accidents, 85 percent of the accidents were at night.

HPD: It’s important to understand that impairment can occur even after just one or two alcoholic drinks. This Fourth of July, commit to only driving 100 percent sober. Don’t lose your independence on Independence Day, and don’t be a deadly risk to yourself and other innocent people. Remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

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