The Labor Day holiday weekend is known for being fun and celebratory, but it is also known for being deadly when it comes to impaired driving. During this holiday weekend, the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) to urge drivers to think twice before drinking alcoholic beverages and driving. NCPD wants all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. This campaign seeks to educate drivers on the dangers of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving, as well as heighten awareness of increased law enforcement.

The deadly truth is in the facts.

• During Labor Day weekend last year, there were 10 fatal collisions, with two of those involving impaired driving on South Carolina roads.
• During the 2024 Labor Day holiday (6 p.m. September 1st - 5:59 a.m. September 5th), there were 505 crash fatalities nationwide.
  
  • 170 were killed in crashes that involved at least one alcohol-impaired driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above.
• Over the 2023 Labor Day holiday, 505 drivers were killed in traffic crashes.
  
  • 100 drivers were alcohol-impaired with a BAC .08 or above.
  • 77 of the 100 impaired drivers killed were almost twice the legal limit (BAC .15+).

• Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday in 2024, 40% of those drivers were impaired, with BACs of .08 or above.

Let’s remind everyone to follow the law and do their part to keep themselves and other road users safe throughout the holiday weekend. Impaired driving fatalities can be prevented when everyone keeps road safety in mind. Drivers should plan ahead if they intend to consume alcoholic beverages by securing a designated sober driver, calling a taxi, or scheduling a rideshare for a safe ride home.