One decision can change everything. Each day, lives are drastically changed or lost in preventable traffic crashes caused by someone's choice to drive while impaired. Drivers continue to choose to break the law by driving impaired, putting thousands of travelers at risk every day.
Holiday weekends bring a surge in impaired driving, so this year's
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility operation will run Aug.
19 through the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 5.
Driving impaired isn't just about alcohol. A person could also be
arrested for driving under the influence of illegal drugs such as
cocaine, marijuana, other controlled substances or even prescription
medication.
Statewide, law enforcement made 389 DWI arrests, 26 DUI drug
arrests and 13 drug influence arrests during this campaign in August and
September of 2015. Many substance-impaired drivers are under the age of
21. From 2013-2015, there were 53 fatal crashes and 144 serious injury
crashes involving a substance-impaired driver under the age of 21 in
Missouri. There were 64 people killed and 202 seriously injured in these
crashes.
