The London Police Department, Laurel County Sheriff’s Department and Kentucky State Police are joining the nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The push is to keep the roadways as safe as possible throughout the holidays. The campaign runs through the new year holiday. Police say there are a lot of holiday parties happening during this time in which alcohol could be involved. The state transportation cabinet says during the last five years, there have been 16 driving impaired-related deaths during this time of year, and according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, impaired driving-related crashes tend to trend upward during the holiday season. Alex Otte, regional director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says within the next few years, there could be a solution for impaired driving, referring to the HALT Act. The HALT Act requires car makers to place technology in automobiles that will prevent the driver from operating the vehicle while impaired. That tech is years away, but it could include driver monitoring, meaning placing cameras in the dash to check the driver’s eyes for driving performance monitoring. The HALT Act was named after a Michigan family who was killed by an impaired driver on the interstate in Lexington.
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