By Mike Finney

DOVER — Labor Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times of the year on the road due to the prevalence of drunk driving, police say.

As the summer winds down, celebrations of all things warm, fun and beachy ramp up. So, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is encouraging the use of a ride-sharing service or a designated driver if alcohol is going to be part of Labor Day festivities next week.

The organization is also sponsoring a “Saturation Saturday” initiative this weekend throughout Delaware. It’s focused on saving lives by intensifying enforcement during one of the nation’s busiest times for travel.

Saturation Saturday is part of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s high-visibility enforcement campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” as well. From Aug. 16 through Sept. 2, police officers will increase patrolling statewide, in an effort to remove impaired drivers.

“Saturation Saturday is an opportunity to team up with law enforcement and amplify the message that, if you choose to drive impaired, you will get caught,” said Bryna Clark-Braverman, regional executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Mid-Atlantic.

“MADD Delaware urges the public to plan ahead for a safe ride home over the Labor Day weekend, by choosing a ride-share service, designating a nondrinking sober driver or using public transportation.”

Nationally, during the Labor Day holiday in 2022, there were 490 crash fatalities. Of those, 39% involved a drunk driver, and 25% involved drivers with a blood alcohol content almost twice the legal limit.

Though it is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol, one person was killed on America’s roads every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash that year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Delaware, the number of driving under the influence fatalities has been decreasing in recent years. While none of the state’s 73 traffic fatalities in 2024 had yet been connected to drugs and/or alcohol through July 26, OHS noted that the “count is unofficial and could rise as fatal crash investigations are completed.”

Compare that to 2023, when the office reported that there were 26 drug- and/or alcohol-related traffic deaths through July 25.

While the agency says that may seem like positive news, it also emphasizes that the only acceptable number of DUI-related fatalities is zero.

Overall, most of the DUI crashes in 2023 occurred in Sussex County (50%), followed by New Castle County (31%) and Kent (19%), OHS noted. Data also shows that males are more likely to be involved in such collisions, as they represented 81% of them statewide.

As far as arrests, there were 66 people charged with DUI during the 2023 Labor Day weekend in Delaware, the office reported.

“The biggest issue with impaired driving is that people know what the consequences are but still choose to drive after drinking,” said Sharon Bryson, director of the agency. “The outcome of a DUI can have long-term effects, ranging from financial burdens, obtaining a criminal record and/or changes to the overall welfare of an individual and loved ones due to serious injury and/or loss of life.”

She added, “Driving under the influence is never acceptable, especially when there are so many options to get home safely.”

Further, the cost of driving drunk is steep in the First State, she said. On average, a DUI charge can cost $10,000 or more in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates and more.

And motorists caught driving impaired could face jail time and/or the loss of a driver’s license, plus could incur medical bills from hospital or long-term care expenses.

“As the summer season comes to an end, (the office) wants to remind drivers of the importance of planning for a sober ride if alcohol is included in the Labor Day celebration plans,” Ms. Bryson added. “Impaired driving is never acceptable, especially when there are so many alternatives to get you home safely.”

Staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at 302-741-8230 or mfinney@iniusa.org.
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