Media Contact: Shane Austin
saustin@saferoads.org
202.425.2776
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), on Labor Day Holiday Travel
(August 26, 2024, Washington, DC) | AAA projects that overall domestic travel will be nine percent higher on Labor Day weekend compared to a year ago. This unofficial end of summer is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Unfortunately, it is also one of the deadliest. In 2022, nearly 500 people were killed nationwide over the holiday. Of those, 39 percent involved a drunk driver. We cannot and should not continue to tolerate this deadly toll on our roads.
Studies show that on average, a first offender will have driven drunk 87 times before getting arrested. Requiring ignition interlock devices (IIDs) for all convicted drunk driving offenders to prevent them from getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol is a proven lifesaver.
In 2024, Advocates participated in strong, diverse coalitions which successfully lobbied lawmakers in Louisiana and Maryland to strengthen their IID laws. The former mandated IIDs for all convicted drunk drivers and required the IID to remain for the duration of suspension, including for first offenses. Maryland closed a loophole that allowed probation before judgment (PBJ) in its all-offender IID law. Governors Jeff Landry (R-LA) and Wes Moore (D-MD) signed those reforms into law earlier this year. We urge the U.S. Congress to advance the bipartisan End DWI Act (H.R. 8213) to motivate states without commonsense all-offender IID laws backed by minimum use periods and compliance based removal requirements to act.
Another proven solution to deter drunk driving is to lower the legal limit for a driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from .08 percent to .05 percent. Doing so has been shown to have a broad deterrent effect that reduces the incidence of drunk driving and saves lives but does not necessarily increase arrests or lower alcohol consumption. All states should enact this safety solution already used by approximately 100 countries.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) must build on its safety advancement of issuing a rule requiring automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection and complete the other vehicle safety rulemakings mandated in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, Pub. L. 117-58) and other overdue statutorily mandated advances without further delay. These include issuing minimum performance standards for (ADAS) including AEB for trucks, lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keeping assist (LKA), impaired driving prevention technology, systems to prevent pediatric heatstroke from hot car incidents, and other lifesaving upgrades.
In the meantime, all road users must do their part to be safe over the holiday weekend. Adhere to speed limits, focus on the task of driving, ensure everyone in the vehicle is buckled up properly and never operate a vehicle when impaired by alcohol or other substances. Following these rules of the road could save your life and the lives of others. As we honor the work of laborers and their contributions to the development and achievements of the U.S. this Labor Day, let’s make sure the only thing we mourn is the end of summer.
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About Advocates
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, medical, public health, law enforcement and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America’s roads safer. Advocates’ mission is the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives, reduce injuries, and contain costs.