Multiple Brazos County Agencies Come Together To Remind Drivers To Not Drive Under The Influence

Photo showing those participating in the June 30, 2022 Brazos County reminder to not drive under the influence during the holiday weekend.
Photo showing those participating in the June 30, 2022 Brazos County reminder to not drive under the influence during the holiday weekend.

Representatives of multiple Brazos County agencies came together Thursday to remind drivers to not drive under the influence during the holiday weekend.

The reminders included an additional law enforcement presence as part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Speakers included Brazos County County Attorney Earl Gray, College Station police chief Billy Couch, and Nancy Winn of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s “Watch UR BAC” education program.

Also in attendance at a news conference outside the College Station police department were representatives of Bryan and Texas A&M police, the Brazos County sheriff’s office, the Texas department of public safety, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Click below to hear comments from the June 30, 2022 news conference, narrated by WTAW News intern Sara Hook.

Listen to “Multiple Brazos County agencies come together to remind drivers to not drive under the influence during the holiday weekend” on Spreaker.

News release from AgriLife Extension’s “Watch UR BAC” program, the Brazos County sheriff’s office, the College Station, Bryan, and Texas A&M police departments, and the Texas department of public safety:

This 4th of July Weekend, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Watch UR BAC Alcohol and Other Drug Awareness Program is partnering with local law enforcement agencies to share the message about the dangers of impaired driving during a news conference on Thursday, June 30, at 1:30 p.m. at the College Station Police Department.

This Independence Day Weekend, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will continue to show zero tolerance for impaired driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement on the road, aim to drastically reduce impaired driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to impaired driving. According to NHTSA, 11,654 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2020 – a 14% increase from 2019. These deaths were all preventable. Every day, about 32 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes – that’s about one person every 45 minutes. This is why Brazos County’s Law Enforcement Agencies are working with NHTSA and the Watch UR BAC Program to remind drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, but also a matter of life and death. As you celebrate America’s Independence, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Fatalities from impaired driving crashes are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior. Please remember: “if you feel different, you drive different”; “buzzed driving is drunk driving”; and “drive high, get a DWI”.

When you choose to drink, planning how you will get home before you start drinking is the best defense against the dangers of impaired driving.

Brazos County’s Law Enforcement Agencies recommends these safe alternatives to driving impaired:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride-share or taxi service to get home safely.

• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

• If you see a suspected impaired driver on the road, find a safe place to pull over and call 911.

For more information about NHTSA’s Impaired Driving public safety campaigns, including “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving”, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.