'Drive sober or get pulled over' effort closes summer driving season

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol will be working hard to keep Nebraska roads safe as the summer driving season comes to an end.

"Schools are back in session and most summer vacations are in the rearview mirror," said Colonel John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. "As the summer driving season winds down, our troopers will be working alongside local law enforcement and patrolling for impaired driving across the state."

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began Aug. 20 and continues through Labor Day, Sept. 6. During the campaign, troopers and dispatchers will be working overtime throughout the state, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies across the country. Thousands of law enforcement agencies throughout the United States participate in the annual effort to safely close the summer driving season.

The effort also marks the conclusion of NSP's 100 Days of Summer initiative, which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend each year. Since Memorial Day weekend, troopers have arrested more than 230 motorists for driving under the influence.

According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation – Highway Safety Office, at least one-third of all fatality crashes in Nebraska last year involved alcohol, with 76 people losing their lives in alcohol-related crashes in Nebraska in 2020.

"Planning ahead to have a sober driver could be a life-saving decision," said Bolduc. "We urge all motorists to always have a sober driver and never drive impaired."

The campaign is made possible, in part, to a grant for $25,000 from the NDOT-HSO.