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Collegedale Police Thanksgiving Safe Driving Campaign
Starting this week and continuing until the end of the month, Collegedale Police and officers across the state will be working together to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle occupants fail to buckle up. If officers spot you, they will pull you over and issue a ticket.
During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2019, there were 279 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation. More than half (54%) were unrestrained. Nighttime proved even more deadly, with 52% of Thanksgiving weekend crashes occurring at night. These deaths represent needless tragedies for families across America and may have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.
“We see the effects of unbuckled drivers at crash scenes all the time and feel for their loved ones because that tragedy could’ve been avoided so easily,” said Sgt. Corey Loftis, Collegedale’s Traffic Program Manager. “This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, remember: Click It or Ticket. It could mean the difference between life and death.”
In addition to raising awareness for the need of wearing seatbelts, it’s just as essential to take some time to remember that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If your plans to celebrate include alcohol or drugs, plan for a sober driver. You may have heard of the popular trend during the Thanksgiving holiday, “Blackout Wednesday,” which occurs on the eve of Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, this trend encourages the heavy consumption of alcohol, which is why we’re working hard to keep drunk drivers off the roads.
Impaired driving related crashes spike during the Thanksgiving holiday season. According to NHTSA, from 2015 to 2019, 135 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve were alcohol-impaired, and over the entire holiday’s long weekend, nearly 800 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes. In 2018, 46% of drivers who were killed in crashes and were tested for drugs tested positive. In fact, during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday period, more than four times as many drivers involved in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired during nighttime hours than during the day.
“We want everyone to make it to the Thanksgiving table and enjoy the holiday with their family and friends,” said Chief Jack Sapp. “and it is our mission to help make sure that our community members can create happy memories, not tragic ones. Driving under the influence is deadly and illegal, and no one should ever take that risk.”
Options to Get Home Safely If you’re planning to head out to the bar or parties during the Thanksgiving holiday, make sure you plan for a safe ride home. If you leave your house unprepared to get home safely, you may not make the best choice of how to get home at the end of the night. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a safe night out.
- If you have used an impairing substance such as drugs or alcohol, do not drive. Passengers should never ride with an impaired driver. If you think a driver may be impaired, do not get in the car.
- If you’re planning to use drugs or alcohol, plan ahead for a sober driver to safely drive you to your destination. It is never okay to drive while impaired by any substance.
- Do you have a friend who is about to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol? Take the keys away and arrange to get them home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone — they’ll thank you later.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1.
Please join us in sharing these lifesaving messages:
Click It or Ticket. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts.
Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/riskydriving/drunk-driving.
If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/riskydriving/drug-impaired-driving.