Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation(PennDOT), the Highway Safety Network, and the Pennsylvania DUI Association (PA DUI) stressed the dangers of impaired driving and urged everyone to celebrate responsibly by selecting a designated driver before their Labor Day Weekend celebrations.

Maggie Nunley, Drug Recognition Expert with PA DUI, said the number of DUI arrests for drug impairment, prescription medication impairment, or a combination of the two continues to grow at an alarming rate. As such, she said PA DUI continues to offer Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) classes that train officers to observe and identify the signs of impairment caused by the seven major drug categories. They also train drug recognition experts to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. Nunley said there are currently approximately 250 DREs certified in Pennsylvania.

Julie Curry, Assistant Chief of Police for the Clearfield Regional Police, said her department will conduct high visibility enforcement details including roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the National Crackdown Impaired Driving campaign that runs through Monday, September 4. She said officers will offer zero tolerance to impaired drivers encountered during these enforcement details and that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.

According to PennDOT 2022 data, there were 1,214 crashes between Friday, September 2, and Monday September 5 resulting in 17 fatalities and 817 injuries. Of those crashes, 114 were alcohol-related and resulted in six fatalities and 90 injuries. Another 27 were drug-related and resulted in two fatalities and 20 injuries.

For more information on the dangers and consequences of impaired driving safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety