“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign Kicks Off Extra Patrols During Holidays

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lt. Commander Ronald Balboni

Billerica, MA – December 6, 2016- The Billerica police will be increasing the number of patrols over the holidays through a special grant from the Highway Safety Division (HSD) of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). The Billerica Police Department will join more than 200 local police departments across the state and the State Police in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization.

“Beginning December 9 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said Chief Dan Rosa. “We are taking a zero tolerance approach to impaired driving this holiday season to keep our roads safe for all motorists.”

“Drivers who will be celebrating this holiday season should plan for a sober ride home before they go out,” said Jeff Larason, Director of the Highway Safety Division. “We want all drivers to remember the responsibility they have to drive safely and to avoid getting behind the wheel if they’re impaired. Crashes caused by an impaired driver are preventable.”

Nationally, nearly one in three people (29 percent) were killed last year in motor vehicle crashes in which alcohol was a factor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tips for motorists:

• Plan for a sober ride home before celebrating this holiday season. Use a ride sharing or taxi service, the MBTA, or a designated driver if you will be consuming alcohol and then travelling.
• If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home, or help them arrange a safe way home.
• Stay in control by wearing your seat belt on every trip. Seat belts keep drivers behind the wheel in a crash.
• Stay off your devices when driving.

***Media Note***

To view the Highway Safety Division’s (HSD) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” :15 and :30 TV spots in English and Spanish, please visit www.mass.gov/drivesober.