DES MOINES, Iowa – During the final weeks of summer 2023, there were 54 traffic fatalities in Iowa, and 44% of them involved impairment, according to the Iowa DOT’s Iowa Crash Analysis Tool.
In order to prevent future tragedies, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with law enforcement across the state to decrease impaired driving. Between Aug. 16 and Sept. 2, law enforcement agencies will be participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement project. Expect to see officers working together to remove impaired drivers and motorcyclists from the roads.
“We want drivers to understand it’s law enforcement’s first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to make a plan,” says GTSB’s Law Enforcement Liaison Randy Kunert. “The drive sober/ride sober campaign is an awareness effort to spread the message that impaired driving is illegal, and it takes lives.”
There are plenty of options to get impaired drivers home safely, Kunert said. Designate a sober driver, or call a taxi/rideshare service. If available, use your community’s sober ride program. If you see a drunk driver or drunk rider on the road, contact local law enforcement.
GTSB works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce deaths and injuries on Iowa’s roadways using federally funded grants.
