Shapiro Admin to Pennsylvanians: Drive Sober and Slower This Labor Day Weekend

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) are urging Pennsylvanians to celebrate responsibly ahead of the Labor Day holiday, and announced the national crackdown on impaired driving, which began yesterday and runs through Monday, September 7. PSP and municipal police agencies will conduct impaired driving enforcement details as part of this enforcement and education campaign.

Hosted by Penn State Health at their Life Lion Hangar in Hershey, the administration was also joined by representatives from the Pennsylvania DUI Association (PA DUI).

“When you decide to drive impaired, you’re not just risking your own life,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “If your plans include alcohol or drugs, make a plan to get home safely. Choose a designated driver, or choose to use a ride-share service, but never choose to drive impaired.”

Last year in Pennsylvania, there were 8,658 crashes involving an impaired driver, resulting in 258 fatalities and 881 suspected serious injuries. Of those crashes, 7,166 involved a drinking driver, resulting in 180 fatalities; and 2,650 involved a drugged driver, resulting in 132 fatalities.

The goal of high-visibility enforcement is to reduce the number of impaired driving-related crashes, injuries, and deaths. This effort is funded through PennDOT's statewide annual distribution of more than $6.7 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for impaired driving enforcement.

PSP troopers made 538 DUI arrests and investigated 60 impaired-driving related crashes, three of which were fatal throughout last year’s Labor Day holiday weekend.

“We have seen too many lives lost at the hands of impaired drivers, and the fact is these tragedies are preventable,” said PSP Director of the Patrol Services Division Lieutenant Jeffrey M. Lambert. “PSP will have increased patrols across the Commonwealth, cracking down on impaired and reckless drivers throughout the holiday weekend. You can help us keep our roads safe by driving responsibly, slowing down, and obeying traffic laws.”