‘Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over’ New Hampshire Holiday Safety Campaign Underway

CONCORD, NH — The state’s highway safety agency will work with other law enforcement employees around the state to find and arrest impaired drivers on Granite State roads this holiday season.

The New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety said the enforcement effort, dubbed “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over,” will run through Jan. 1, 2025, with more than 100 agencies participating in the campaign.

“Troopers have zero-tolerance for drivers operating under the influence and will be out in full force,” Lt. Christopher Storm of the New Hampshire State Police said. “We will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute individuals who choose to endanger themselves and others by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. Driving while impaired is not only illegal but also reckless and irresponsible. It puts innocent lives at risk and has devastating consequences to all involved. We encourage everyone to designate a sober driver, use a rideshare service or call a taxi.”

Drivers should expect to see increased road patrols as part of the effort.

In 2022, 146 people were killed in crashes and more than 73 percent were substance abuse-related. The data for 2023 is not yet completed.

Officials noted December is one of the most dangerous months to be on New Hampshire’s roads. In the December months between 2018 and 2022, 45 people were killed in crashes. Fifty-seven crashes during that same period featured drivers who were suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication, officials said.

Anyone who sees a driver who might be intoxicated should call 911.

The “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” effort is being funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through grants issued by the office of highway safety.

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