Good weather is a motorcyclists’ friend, and the Labor Day holiday weekend is a great time to hop on the bike and enjoy the last warm days of summer. To help protect motorcyclists and other motorists during the busy 2020 Labor Day holiday, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Watch UR BAC program will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get drunk drivers off the roads and help save lives.
The highly visible national enforcement campaign, Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs through September 7, 2020. During this period, we will show zero tolerance for drunk driving — whether riding a motorcycle or driving a passenger vehicle. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of riding impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk riding on U.S. roadways.
Motorcyclists are an important part of our transportation community, and we want them to be safe and feel safe. We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe Labor Day weekend. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk riding is illegal, and it takes lives.
Motorcyclists should be aware of other drivers on the roads, too, and that motorcycles can be difficult to spot. Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 27 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in a motor vehicle crash, and five-times more likely to be injured. Furthermore, improper use of a vehicle’s rear-view and side-view mirrors contributes to collisions, particularly with smaller vehicles like motorcycles. With roughly 40 percent of a vehicle’s outer perimeter zones hidden by blind spots, improper adjustment, or lack of use of side-view mirrors can have dire consequences for motorcyclists.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family and Community Health recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and riding:
- Remember: It is never OK to drink and ride. Even after only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
- Know a friend who is about to drink and ride? Take their keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
For more information, contact: Nancy Winn, Watch UR BAC program, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, by phone: 979-862-1911, or email: Nancy.Winn@ag.tamu.edu. Website: https://www.nhtsa.gov.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Watch UR BAC program is a free, statewide program to promote alcohol awareness, the dangers of impaired driving, and friends watching out for friends
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife
