What should I be on the lookout for during the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign to avoid an arrest?

In order to crack down on DUI offenses across the nation, the National Highway Traffic Administration has created a national enforcement and DUI awareness campaign. This campaign, known as the “Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over” campaign, takes place every year and lasts about two and a half weeks. 2015’s campaign will begin on August 19th and end during Labor Day weekend.

Although the purpose of this movement is to raise awareness (which will hopefully decrease DUI arrests and accidents), the enforcement aspect of the campaign actually increases your risk of being falsely ticketed and charged with a DUI. This is why it is extremely important to know what to look for throughout the campaign in order to avoid being pulled over.     

Visibility and Enforcement: Campaign Strategies That Increase Your Risk

There are three separate strategies of the DUI campaign that are used to educate drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving and the likelihood that you will be caught. These strategies include publicity, visibility, and enforcement.

1. Publicity: putting the spotlight on the campaign by using press releases, news stories, social media, billboards, posters, etc. to get the word out and drill the message into the public.
2. Visibility: using portable signage (“Enforcement Zone Ahead,” “Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over,” etc.), specially-marked vests, vehicles, and badges for enforcement officers, and command centers to show the public that the campaign is being enforced.
3. Enforcement: ensuring the public that DUIs will not be tolerated by setting up highly active and highly visible enforcement zones.

All of these tactics have been proven over the years to work extremely well in raising DUI awareness. However, the visibility and enforcement techniques are the tactics you most need to be aware of, as they are the ones that can determine whether or not you’re pulled over. Therefore, during the campaign period (whether you’ve been drinking or not), you need to pay special attention to enforcement zones and look out for designated enforcement officers.

Remember, it’s their job to catch and charge as many drivers as possible with DUIs (no matter how low their BACs), in order to get their message across. Don’t be a martyr for their cause—pay attention, be responsible, and avoid the need for a DUI defense.