Mothers Against Drunk Driving® staff and volunteers are teaming up with law enforcement agencies in South Dakota today (Aug. 26, 2023) for “Saturation Saturday.”
The annual effort to saturate communities with facts, tips, law enforcement patrols and sobriety checkpoints to stop impaired driving kicks off one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
The 2023 Saturation Saturday events in South Dakota will include virtual activation to highlight impaired driving prevention efforts by law enforcement during the annual National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Across the country and in South Dakota, MADD staff and volunteers will share facts, victim stories, raise awareness on social media and distribute materials detailing the dangers of impaired driving.
MADD CEO Stacey Stewart says since 2018, they’ve seen a 27% increase in deaths caused by drunk driving and the number rises as we head toward Labor Day weekend. She says from Saturation Saturday through Labor Day, MADD intensifies its work with law enforcement agencies across the country to encourage DUI patrols and support sobriety checkpoints, which reduce drunk driving deaths by up to 20%, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.
Stewart says the effort comes at a time when traffic fatalities are at a 16-year high. She says 41% of fatal crashes during Labor Day weekend are caused by drunk driving.
If you, or someone you love, has been the victim of impaired driving, support is available at no cost 24 hours a day via the MADD Victim Help Line 1-877 MADDHELP (1-877-623-3435) or www.MADD.org.
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