Author: Alex Thompson

A Proclamation on National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2022

“Impaired driving crashes are 100% preventable – there’s simply no excuse or reason to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. If you’ve had anything to drink, use public transportation, arrange for a sober driver, or call a taxi or ride-hailing service and get home safely,” said Ann Carlson, NHTSA’s Acting Administrator. My Administration is building our capacity to end impaired driving by supporting innovative strategies that reduce impaired driving-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities while safeguarding against bias and ensuring racial equity. To identify and support people with substance use disorders, we are increasing impaired driving risk screening, supporting evidence-based prevention programs, and providing access to evidence-based treatment and recovery support services. My Administration is also raising awareness about the effects of impairment on driving ability through the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different national media campaigns.

Over 10,000 American lives are lost to drunk and drug-impaired driving each year, accounting for nearly a third of all traffic deaths. In 2019, some 11 percent of Americans drove under the influence, including a staggering 19.6 percent of people aged — and that number has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Far too many families are left getting that gut-wrenching phone call after an accident — their worlds changed forever. Far too many passengers and pedestrians see their lives destroyed by someone else’s bad decision, and far too many law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to keep impaired drivers off our roads. We owe it to them all to do everything we can to prevent future tragedies.

Every year, thousands of lives are needlessly lost on our Nation’s roadways because of alcohol — and drug-impaired driving. These are avoidable tragedies that leave deep holes in our Nation’s families and communities. During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we reaffirm our commitment to preventing impaired driving. We remember the victims and honor their memory by making the responsible decision to drive sober and ensure that others do the same. As we head into the holiday seasons, we urge Americans everywhere to do the right thing. If you plan on drinking, arrange a sober ride home in advance; ride-sharing apps have made getting home safely easier than ever.

Driving while impaired by any substance — legal or illegal — is dangerous. Alcohol, illicit drugs, and even over-the-counter and prescription medications can impair a driver’s judgment, decrease motor coordination, and slow the reaction time necessary to safely operate a motor vehicle. During this holiday season especially, let us remember all those we have lost to impaired driving and take simple steps to save lives. I encourage every American to plan ahead how you will get home after drinking and to be sure that if you have used any substance you never get behind the wheel. And whenever you see loved ones or colleagues putting themselves or others at risk, step up to offer a hand. My Administration is advancing new tools that can help prevent driving under the influence and improve road safety.

At the same time, we are promoting life-saving tools that can keep people from driving under the influence. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for example, provides funds for States to develop new technologies that can detect and prevent drunk and drug-impaired driving. It also requires all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with crash-averting features, like automatic emergency braking and collision warnings. The Department of Transportation is also partnering with State and local agencies and non-profits to educate the public through its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different media campaigns.

A Proclamation on National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2022

If you see someone — a friend, loved one, colleague, or anyone else — putting themselves or others at risk, offer to help. Besides alcohol, many other substances can cause impaired driving. These substances include prescription drugs, illegal drugs and even some over-the-counter medications.

Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests in technologies that can detect and prevent impaired driving, and it requires all new passenger cars to include features like collision warnings and automatic emergency braking, which can help to avoid accidents. The Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy works to eliminate traffic deaths and make crashes less destructive. For example, their Safe Streets and Roads for All program offers more than $800 million in grants to help cities, counties, Tribes, and other organizations plan and implement measures improve the safety of our Nation’s roadways.

1. CDC has determined that carefully planned and well-executed mass media campaigns that attain sufficient audience exposure and are implemented in conjunction with other ongoing prevention activities are effective in reducing alcohol-impaired driving.
2. Over 10,000 American lives are lost to drunk and drug-impaired driving each year, accounting for nearly a third of all traffic deaths.
3. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.
4. In 2019, some 11 percent of Americans drove under the influence, including a staggering 19.6 percent of people aged — and that number has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth. The table below, from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), explains how alcohol can cause driving impairments, even in small quantities.

NHTSA Takes First Step Toward Impaired Driving Prevention Standard to Save Lives, Launches Holiday Drive Sober Campaign

Comprehensive approaches that implement several interventions simultaneously will further reduce alcohol-impaired driving. The best way to reduce the deadly cost of impaired driving is prevention, which starts by raising awareness of its risks and consequences and by working to treat substance misuse in the first place. Since taking office, my Administration has committed to provide over $169 billion in drug control funding to end the overdose crisis. Driving impaired by any substance – alcohol or other drugs, whether the substance is legal or illegal – is against the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. To prevent unnecessary tragedies, NHTSA urges everyone to plan ahead, especially when celebrating the holidays, and to never drive drunk or high. Instead, designate a sober driver, use public transportation, or call a ride-hailing service or taxi – many communities have sober ride programs available during the holidays.

It is always important to consult your doctor about the side effects of medications you are taking, and always follow the warning labels before driving. GRAFENWOEHR, Germany ­— The holiday season can be a wonderful time of year. As COVID-19 safety regulations permit, community members gather to enjoy the change in scenery, cold weather, hot chocolate and warm fires. Under normal circumstances, the season is also typically greeted with an increased use of alcohol or other substances, which can lead to negative consequences such as arrests for Driving under the Influence (DUI) or impaired driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), within the U.S. Department of Transportation, with the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the U.S.

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Crashes and fatalities from impaired driving are completely preventable, yet alcohol-impaired fatalities in the month of December hit a nearly 15-year high in 2021. The holiday season is an especially deadly time, with more than 1,000 people killed in drunk driving crashes in December 2021 alone. All 50 States and the District of Columbia enforce the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years.

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month related holidays

Starting with the American Rescue Plan, my Administration has secured billions of dollars to expand access to substance use services. We distributed $1.5 billion to fight the opioid epidemic this fall. We have asked the Congress for $24 billion more to fund prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country, especially in underserved communities. We are also asking the Congress for $18 billion to reduce the supply of illicit substances entering our country to help keep communities safe. And we are working to help end the stigma around addiction so more people feel free to seek the help they need. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 2021 as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.

A BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, increases the chances of a car crash exponentially. Laws in the United States determine that it is illegal to operate a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or higher. It is illegal to operate a vehicle in Germany with a BAC of .05 or higher. Besides blood and urine tests, the other most used method are Field Sobriety Tests, which are cognitive and balance tasks law enforcement uses to determine a person’s well-being.

December is designated as “Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month” — a national campaign designed to bring awareness to these problems, and to provide education and information regarding prevention. We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar — giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate. The Supreme Court ruled that police sobriety checks on public roads are constitutional. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisthirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh. Youth.gov is the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news.

Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration remind you to celebrate safely this holiday season. We stand with all those who have known the tragic consequences of drugged or drunk driving, and we rededicate ourselves to preventing it this December and throughout the year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has taken the first step toward making impaired-driving prevention technology standard in new passenger vehicles. The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that NHTSA is announcing today helps fulfill a requirement in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and supports the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 2022 as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. I urge all Americans to make responsible decisions and take appropriate measures to prevent impaired driving.