With Christmas and New Year’s approaching, D.C. police are sending out a message in the name of safety: drive sober or get pulled over.
The department said it’s working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to put a strong emphasis on stopping distracted and drunken driving.
The goal is to make sure that everyone is safe on the roads.
The reminder comes amid a rise in traffic deaths across the District. Forty-seven people died in D.C. crashes this year, according to the most recent numbers from Vision Zero. It’s the highest number of deaths the city has seen in over 15 years.
From Dec. 15 through Jan. 1, there will be officers on the streets “working on a special high-visibility enforcement campaign” to promote the message about how much harm drunken driving can do, according to a police news release.
“The holidays are a time for celebration and joy. Drunken driving jeopardizes not only your own life, but also those on the road with you,” D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith said in the news release, adding that the department “has zero tolerance for people who don’t drive sober.”
Driving while under the influence of marijuana also counts as impaired driving.
D.C. police also remind drivers that “a few dollars spent on a ride is a lot cheaper than a DUI, which can cost up to $10,000. … Allowing a sober driver to help you get home safely keeps you and others safe.”
