Department offers tips to keep the public safe
Because Labor Day weekend has become “a dangerous time for America’s roads,” with many inebriated drivers getting behind the wheel after celebrations, the Sarasota Police Department is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “to stop drunk drivers and help save lives,” the department has announced.
The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, has begun already and will run through Sept. 5, a Sarasota Police Department (SPD) news release says.
SPD officers will join law enforcement personnel from around the state and the nation “to show zero tolerance for drunk driving,” the release adds.
According to the NHTSA, on average, more than 10,000 people died in drunk-driving crashes each year from 2010 to 2014, the release points out. During the 2014 Labor Day holiday weekend, 40 percent of the fatalities in traffic collisions involved drunk drivers, it adds.
“Our officers are committed to ensuring a safe Labor Day weekend for the residents and visitors to the City of Sarasota,” said Capt. Kevin Stiff, the SPD’s Patrol Division commander, in the release. “Drunk driving is not a victimless crime,” he continued. “The safest thing to do is to only drive sober. If you plan on drinking, let someone else do the driving,” Stiff said in the release.
Drivers are encourage to follow these tips, the release notes:
- If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver before you head out, to ensure you get home safely.
- If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, an Uber, a sober friend or Tow-To-Go (1-800-2-TOW-2-GO). In Florida, Tow to Go will be offered from Sept. 2 until 6 a.m. on Sept. 6.