By law, a motorist who is believed to be driving under the influence will be arrested. But today, State Police joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other organizations to appeal to drivers as parents, siblings, significant others, and humans to save lives by simply handing over the keys and finding a designated driver if they’ve been drinking.
Flanked by safety advocates and law enforcement officials, State Police Superintendent Steve Flaherty discussed the already alarming statistics.
“Preliminary numbers are in for the first eight months for this year, tell us there were 136 people were killed because of drunk driving crashes. First eight months. We're not even in to the Holiday Season.”
And while police are essential for taking drunk drivers off the road and reducing fatalities, he says EACH driver plays the KEY role.
“We want you to recognize the 'Tie One On for Safety' campaign - and please, please, please make the right choices. If you intend to drink, don't drive.
Their "Tie One On For Safety" campaign asks drivers to tie a red ribbon onto their cars as a pledge to drink responsibly and drive proactively, looking for impaired drivers.