Holiday Sober Driving Campaign Launched by NHTSA To Combat Alcohol-Related Crashes

As new data indicates drunk driving deaths during the holiday season have reached a 15-year high, federal safety officials have launched a nationwide campaign this month to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign on December 10, which will run through January 1, 2025.

This year’s slogan, “Don’t Pass on a Sober Ride,” encourages individuals to plan ahead, and emphasizes that even a single drink can impair thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination, putting both the driver and others at risk.

Drunk driving accidents claimed 13,524 lives in 2022, accounting for 32% of all traffic deaths that year, with a drunk driving fatality occurring every 39 minutes on average. However, at least 1,062 of the fatalities occurred in December 2022 alone, highlighting the increased risks during the holiday season.

The NHTSA campaign urges individuals to never drink and drive, and to never let someone who has been drinking get behind the wheel. Hosts are encouraged to ensure their guests have a sober ride home. Additionally, the campaign emphasizes the importance of always wearing a seatbelt and reporting drunk drivers to 911 to help keep roads safe.

Federal officials remind the public that staying sober means avoiding drugs as well. Substances like cannabis can impair a person’s ability to drive safely, leading to slower reaction times, reduced cognitive function and difficulty maintaining lane control.

The campaign is backed by a nationwide media investment of over $14 million, running from December 11, 2024, to January 1, 2025, featuring TV, radio and digital advertisements. As part of this high-visibility effort, law enforcement agencies will collaborate with their communities to combat alcohol- and drug-impaired driving throughout the holiday season.

Alongside the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, NHTSA has also launched the ‘If you Feel Different, You Drive Different. Drive High, Get a DUI’ initiative to educate the public that driving while impaired by drugs puts passengers, pedestrians and others on the roadway at risk. NHTSA has also issued a series of sober driving tips, encouraging drivers, riders and hosts to be responsible this holiday season.

“I urge everyone to do their part to help save lives this holiday season. Plan a safe and sober ride home,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman. “If you drive impaired by alcohol or drugs, you’re putting yourself and others around you at risk, and the consequences can be devastating. Let’s make this holiday season a memorable one for all the right reasons.”