According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSA), during the 2017 July Fourth holiday — the period the most recent statistics are available for — 601 people died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide. This is an average of 134 death each day.
During that same time, there were four fatalities on Iowa roads. That is certainly nothing to celebrate.
The NHSA data shows that 60 percent of those who died in alcohol-related crashes were in vehicles involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .15 or higher, almost twice the legal limit of .08.
This Fourth of July, law enforcement agencies across Iowa will be participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from July 3 to July 7. In an effort to combat drunk driving, officers will be exhibiting zero tolerance for impaired drivers.
Beside the possibility of serious injury and death to the impaired driver, the drunk driver is endangering the lives of anyone else in his or her vehicle or anyone whom the drunk driver might encounter on the road.
There is also a financial aspect to driving impaired. An OWI arrest can cost up to $10,000. You could lose your license, your car and your job. You could serve jail time. Too much of this liberty can cost you your license.
Before you set out to celebrate this holiday weekend make a plan — have a designated driver or call a taxi or another rideshare service.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau reminds you that it is never okay to drink and drivel
