A Proclamation on National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2022

By talking about the risks and setting clear expectations, parents and other caregivers can help their children stay safe, sober, and focused on the road. During this holiday season especially, let us remember all those we have lost to impaired driving and take simple steps to save lives. I encourage every American to plan ahead how you will get home after drinking and to be sure that if you have used any substance you never get behind the wheel. And whenever you see loved ones or colleagues putting themselves or others at risk, step up to offer a hand.

Socializing Safely This Season: National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

As everyone takes precautions to be able to safely return to in-person events, more and more celebrations are being added to the calendar. It could be an intimate dinner at a friend’s house, perhaps a happy hour to celebrate a return to the office, or a gathering of high school friends home from college. In each instance, alcohol and other substances may not be necessarily at the center of the fun but are a common denominator. Youth.gov is the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs.

A Proclamation on National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2021

We owe it to them all to do everything we can to prevent future tragedies. That starts by working to reduce substance use disorders, raising awareness of the dangers of impaired driving; and investing in technologies that can help prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths. The best way to reduce the deadly cost of impaired driving is prevention, which starts by raising awareness of its risks and consequences and by working to treat substance misuse in the first place. Since taking office, my Administration has committed to provide over $169 billion in drug control funding to end the overdose crisis. This holiday season, too many American families will have an empty seat at their table after losing a loved one in a drunk or drug-impaired driving accident. More than alcoholic ketoacidosis smell 10,000 Americans die every year in these preventable crashes.

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month — December 1992

Driving while impaired by any substance — legal or illegal — is dangerous. Alcohol, illicit drugs, and even over-the-counter and prescription medications can impair a driver’s judgment, decrease motor coordination, and slow the reaction time necessary to safely operate a motor vehicle. Starting with the American Rescue what drugs was eminem addicted to Plan, my Administration has secured billions of dollars to expand access to substance use services. We distributed $1.5 billion to fight the opioid epidemic this fall. We have asked the Congress for $24 billion more to fund prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country, especially in underserved communities.

All 50 States and the District of Columbia enforce the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years. NHTSA asks minors to avoid alcohol, and encourages parents and other caregivers to make a new or renewed commitment to never cater a party to underage drinking. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.

1. That’s why for more than 40 years, preventionists across the country have observed National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December to raise awareness that impaired driving can be deadly and to put strategies in place for all of us to make it home safely.
2. During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we recommit to stopping avoidable traffic deaths and keeping America’s roadways safe by driving sober, raising awareness, helping each other get home, and supporting fellow Americans who are struggling with substance use.
3. We are also asking the Congress for $18 billion to reduce the supply of illicit substances entering our country to help keep communities safe.
4. My Administration is committed to reducing the number of impaired drivers and raising awareness about the dangers of driving impaired.

That same year, more than 10,000 people died from drunk driving crashes alone. As individuals, we look forward to getting together with friends and family to celebrate the holidays. It’s also a time when prevention can play an especially important role. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), within the U.S. Department of Transportation, with the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration remind you to celebrate safely this holiday season.

Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisthirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh. We’ll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

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During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we call on everyone to help save a life by planning ahead, calling for a ride, only driving when sober, and helping friends and loved ones do the same every time. Nearly a third of deadly car wrecks in America involve alcohol, and some 26 million people drove under the influence in 2020, endangering themselves, passengers and passersby, and the law enforcement officers who work to keep our roads safe. We must also share our appreciation for the law enforcement officers who risk their lives each day to keep our communities safe while keeping impaired drivers off of our roadways. My Administration is building our capacity to end impaired driving by supporting innovative strategies that reduce impaired driving-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities while safeguarding against bias and ensuring racial equity. To identify and support people with substance use disorders, we are increasing impaired driving risk screening, supporting evidence-based prevention programs, and providing access to evidence-based treatment and recovery support services. My Administration is also raising awareness about the effects of impairment on driving ability through the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different national media campaigns.

At the same time, we are promoting life-saving tools that can keep people from driving under the influence. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for example, provides funds for States to develop new technologies that can detect and prevent drunk and drug-impaired driving. It also requires all new passenger motor vehicles to be equipped with crash-averting dka breath smell features, like automatic emergency braking and collision warnings. The Department of Transportation is also partnering with State and local agencies and non-profits to educate the public through its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and If You Feel Different, You Drive Different media campaigns. Every year, thousands of lives are needlessly lost on our Nation’s roadways because of alcohol — and drug-impaired driving.