Police across Berks County are joining the nationwide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign to crack down on impaired driving in the days leading up to Labor Day.
From August 15 through September 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working with local police to increase DUI checkpoints and roving patrols. The high-visibility enforcement effort is designed to prevent crashes and save lives during one of the deadliest holiday periods for drunk driving.
According to NHTSA, 511 people were killed in traffic crashes nationwide during the 2023 Labor Day holiday. More than a third of those deaths involved a drunk driver, and 68 percent of impaired drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher. Among drivers ages 18 to 34 killed in crashes, nearly half had blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Sergeant David Bentz of the Exeter Township Police Department, who also serves as Berks County coordinator for the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program. “The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it kills. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this dangerous behavior.”
Officials urge drivers to plan ahead before drinking, whether by designating a sober driver, calling a taxi, or using a rideshare service. They also remind residents to look out for one another: friends should take away the keys if someone has been drinking and is about to drive, and anyone who spots a drunk driver should call 911.
Police say checkpoints and roving patrols will be active throughout Berks County during the enforcement period.
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
