MADD, law enforcement prep for 'Saturation Saturday' DUI enforcement
Since 2019, drunken driving deaths have increased 33% across Labor Day weekends, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS. MADD announced its annual campaign Monday to curb what has become an increasingly deadly trend this time of year.
"Impaired driving affects everyone and is the leading cause of death on our roadways," said Stacey Stewart, chief executive officer of MADD. "MADD is committed to supporting equitable and just enforcement efforts to stop this senseless crime. We owe it to one another to make safer choices."
Together, MADD and 260 law enforcement departments in 16 states -- including Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia -- will increase sobriety checkpoints and DUI patrols on Saturday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, sobriety checkpoints reduce drunken driving deaths by up to 20%.
The goal of "Saturation Saturday" is to educate people in August before everyone gets on the road over Labor Day weekend, according to MADD. The campaign runs in conjunction with the NHTSA's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" effort.
"High-visibility traffic safety enforcement efforts serve as a deterrent to impaired driving crashes and prevent senseless deaths and injuries," said Stewart. "Together, alongside law enforcement and NHTSA, MADD urges the public to have a plan for getting home safe -- whether you're driving, riding or hosting -- as we approach Labor Day weekend."
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which has also run campaigns over the summer to warn about the dangers of drinking, urges everyone to designate a driver or plan to call a taxi or ride-hailing service to make sure no one gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
Part of MADD's goal to end drunk driving in the future, is the nonprofit's push for the HALT Drunk Driving Law. The law would equip every new car with anti-drunk driving technology by 2030 and could save an estimated 10,000 lives per year.
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