Casper Police Participate in Drive Sober Campaign Through Labor Day
As announced in a press release, the Casper Police Department will, from Aug. 19 through Sept. 5, join departments from around the state and participate in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over event.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver, and in 2020 in Wyoming, 30% of motor vehicle fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
From Sept. 4 to 8 in 2020, there were 530 crash fatalities nationwide and 46% of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking.
So far this year, there have been 77 fatalities on Wyoming roadways, compared to 75 at this point in 2021, 85 in 2020, 107 in 2019, and 69 in 2018, though it is unclear how many, if any, were due to impairment by alcohol.
In 2019, Wyoming had the highest rate of drunk driving deaths per 100,000 at 6.2, above North Dakota in second place at 5.4 per 100,000 people, though Wyoming was behind both Dakota's when it comes to DUIs per 100,000 at 550.
This is not the first time that the Casper Police have participated in such a program, as during the new year's holiday at the end of 2021, the Wyoming Department of Transportation also hosted a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in an effort to get more drunk drivers off the road.
Traffic Sergeant Zack Winter said in the release:
“It is the mission of the Casper Police Department to protect our community and keep impaired drivers off our streets. We are asking everyone in Casper, and the surrounding areas, to plan for a sober ride home," Winter said. "Help us keep our city streets free of impaired drivers so that we can enjoy what’s left of the summer and the Labor Day holiday without any preventable fatalities."
The Casper Police Department reminds people to designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation, a cab, or rideshare, that Safe Rides is an option, contact the police if you see a drunk driver, and always wear a seatbelt.