Wolf Administration, Safety Partners Urge Designated Driving Ahead of Labor Day Holiday

Wolf Administration, Safety Partners Urge Designated Driving Ahead of Labor
Day Holiday

8/30/2017-HARRISBURG

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT); Jennifer Smith,
acting
secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs;
Geisinger Holy Spirit Hospital; Cumberland County District Attorney David
Freed; Cumberland County Coroner Charles Hall; Sgt. Richard Gamez, Drug
Recognition Expert at the Pennsylvania State Police; and C. Stephen Erni,
executive director of the Pennsylvania DUI Association, today held a media
event to highlight the dangers of impaired driving and urge drivers to
celebrate responsibly ahead of the Labor Day holiday.

"Although DUI-related fatalities have fallen in recent times, drug-related
crashes are on the rise," PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said of the
event's importance. "Through the collaboration, education, and enforcement
efforts of these partners, we look to decrease crashes and fatalities this
weekend and beyond."

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, during last year's Labor Day
weekend, there were more than 2,800 total crashes in Pennsylvania; 281 of
those
were alcohol-related that resulted in 13 fatalities. Of the total crashes,
106
were drug-related, resulting in two fatalities.

"Many impaired drivers today are mixing drugs, either prescription or
illicit,
and could be using them in combination with alcohol, which is a very
dangerous
and often deadly combination," said Jennifer Smith, acting secretary of the

Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. "We want to be sure
people recognize the danger of drinking alcohol, using any kind of
prescription
or illicit drugs, and driving. Be safe and consider the safety of others."

As part of the national impaired driving enforcement mobilization, which
runs
from August 15 through September 4, Pennsylvania's DUI task forces, the
Pennsylvania State Police, and local law enforcement statewide will conduct

checkpoints and roving patrols as part of the crackdown.

The legal blood-alcohol content in Pennsylvania is 0.08 for motorists 21
years
of age and over. Driving under the influence penalties may include jail
time,
license suspension, and fines of between $500 and $5,000.

"The consequences of driving while impaired not only affect the individual
impacted, but entire families and communities as a whole," says Dale
Dangleben,
M.D., FACS, trauma program medical director at Geisinger Holy Spirit.
"Serious
and life-threatening traumatic injuries caused by those driving under the
influence can be prevented by simply not getting behind the wheel while
impaired. Whether the person is a chronic alcohol abuser or a casual
drinker,
they may think they aren't impaired. That isn't the case. Alcohol
consumption
causes slowed reactions, reduced coordination and poor judgment."

As part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA)
effort
to decrease impaired driving, they developed the SaferRide smartphone app.
The
app can be used to quickly pinpoint the user's location and call a taxi or
trusted friend for a safe ride home. SaferRide is free and available for
Android and Apple devices.

For more information on PennDOT's impaired driving efforts, visit
PennDOT.gov/safety.

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