Americans love to celebrate the Fourth of July with family, friends, food, and fireworks. But all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation’s roads. Tragically, the iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes. That’s why, this Fourth of July, law enforcement officers across the U.S. are reminding drivers that one drink is too many.

According to the National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .15 or higher were responsible for more than 90 fatal collisions during the 2015 Fourth of July holiday, July 2—July 6, 2015. During that same period, 146 people died in collisions involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08. From 2011-2015, 39% of all traffic fatalities over the Fourth of July period occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

NHTSA data also shows that young drivers—drivers 18–34 years old—are especially at risk of driving under the influence. In fact, 49% of young drivers who were killed over the 2015 July Fourth period had BACs of .08 or higher. Motorcycle operators are also overrepresented as the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes. In 2015 more than one-third (36%) of motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes had BACs of .08 or higher.

Not surprisingly, drunk driving is more common at night. During the 2015 Fourth of July holiday, 44% of the fatal collisions that occurred at night involved drunk driving, compared to 19% of daytime collisions reported during the same period.

Know You’re Going to Party? Make a Plan

The NHTSA ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign offers these tips for a safe Fourth of July:

  • Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely
  • Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s ITunes Store for IOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up
  • Use your community’s sober ride program
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, report it to local law enforcement
  • Know a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over this Fourth of July
NHTSA’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign encourages the use of the SaferRide app