As law enforcement officers, we unfortunately see death and tragedy often, and it never gets easier—especially when they are preventable. In 2015, more than 10,000 people – including South Carolinians – died in drunken driving-related crashes on our nation’s roadways.
Impaired driving often peaks during holidays, and Labor Day is one of the most dangerous holiday periods. Families and friends head out to picnics and cookouts, hoping to catch those last few rays of sun before they settle in for the long winter. With increased traffic comes an increased chance for traffic crashes.
This Labor Day, and every day, the decision to not drink and drive shouldn’t be a tough one. If you drink and drive, you could kill yourself or someone else. If you cannot control your own behavior, a law enforcement officer will. We will be out finding drunk drivers during the holiday period, showing zero tolerance for anyone driving drunk. If we find you driving drunk, you will be arrested.
The Labor Day holiday should be a special time for friends and families to mark the end of summer. It should end with good memories, not marked by tragedy. If you are planning to drink, plan ahead for a sober ride home. Even one drink is one too many.
This Labor Day weekend, we’ll be working hard to spread the word about the dangers of drunken driving through education and increased enforcement. It’s time to end the deadly, criminal behavior of drunken driving.