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Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over

About

Enforcement Campaign

Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over is a national high-visibility enforcement campaign that focuses specifically on the consequences of drunk riding while urging riders to get a safe, sober ride home. Material created for this campaign highlights law enforcement’s goal of stopping drunk riders and spreading awareness about the increased police presence on our nation’s roads during this period.

National Mobilizations

  • August/September: Labor Day high-visibility enforcement campaign.
    • Enforcement: August 16 – September 2, 2024
    • Paid Media: August 14 – September 2, 2024
    • Earned Media: July 15 – September 9, 2024
      These campaign dates coincide with the alcohol-impaired Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. 
  • Also, Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over may be used if high-visibility enforcement is happening in your area over the Fourth of July holiday. 

Facts

  • There were 5,636 motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes in 2021. Of those, 1,624 (29%) were alcohol-impaired (with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher). 
  • In 2021, there were 402 motorcycle riders killed who had lower alcohol levels (BACs of .01 to .07 g/dL). 
  • In single-vehicle fatal crashes in 2021, 43% of the motorcycle riders killed were drunk. 
  • On weekends in 2021, nearly half (46%) of the motorcycle riders killed in single-vehicle crashes were drunk. 
  • Motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were almost three times more frequently alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day in 2021.
  • In 2021, the highest percentages of alcohol-impaired motorcycle rider fatalities were in the 35-to-39 and 40-to-44 age groups (35% each), followed by the 30-to-34 and 50-to-54 age groups (33% each), 45-to-49 age group (32%), and 25-to-29 age group (30%), when compared to other age groups.

August/Labor Day

  • During the 2021 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. Sept. 3-5:59 a.m. Sept. 7), 32% of motorcycle riders who died in traffic crashes were drunk, with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 grams per deciliter or higher.

July 4th

  • In 2021, 538 people died in motor vehicle crashes over the July 4th holiday period (6 p.m. July 2 – 5:59 a.m. July 6, 2020). Thirty-nine percent (212) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. During this same period, 70 percent of those who died in alcohol-impaired crashes were in a crash involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration at or above .15 g/dL — almost twice the legal limit in almost every state.   

Talking Points

We've prepared talking points related to Rider Sober or Get Pulled Over. These can be used as part of your Labor Day and Fourth of July holiday enforcement campaign messaging. After downloading, we encourage you to add local stats and facts to the document. 

  • Coming Soon: 2024 material

August/Labor Day

During the Labor Day holiday, you can use many of the materials available on this page to increase your Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over messaging. In addition, assets specific to the holiday are available. Those include a social media playbook with graphics, additional social media posts, and a sample news release. We also have a statistic specific to the Labor Day holiday in the Facts section of this page.

  • Coming Soon: 2024 materials
Short Stick 4 animated / 4 static

July 4th

During the Fourth of July holiday, you can use many of the materials available on this page to increase your Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over messaging. In addition, assets specific to the holiday are available. Those include a social media playbook with graphics, additional social media posts, and a sample news release. We also have a statistic specific to the Fourth of July holiday in the Facts section of this page.

  • Coming Soon: 2024 materials
Plan Ahead 4 animated I 4 static

Ads

Banner Ad | Cross The Line 7 animated | 7 static
Ride Sober | Video Ad | Cross The Line TV & Digital | :30 Available by Request

If a video is noted as Available by Request, it is not available for immediate download. A state may submit a request to NHTSA and the ad can be retagged with their stage logo.

Note: No one may alter, edit, or change a NHTSA TV ad or digital video.

Future Dates

2025

  • Labor Day
    • Enforcement: August 15 – September 1, 2025
    • Paid Media: August 13 – September 1, 2025
    • Earned Media: July 14 – September 8, 2025

2026

  • Labor Day
    • Enforcement: August 14 – September 7, 2026
    • Paid Media: August 12 – September 7, 2026
    • Earned Media: July 13 – September 14, 2026

Additional Resources