National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2017

Proclamation 9679 of November 30, 2017

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On average, every 50 minutes, a person in the United
States dies in a vehicle crash involving alcohol. We
have seen too many lives cut short by impaired driving,
and too many drivers continue to put themselves and
others at risk every day. During National Impaired
Driving Prevention Month, we reemphasize that impaired
driving is never acceptable. We recognize that we can
eliminate impaired driving through our choices, and we
pledge to make the right choice by driving sober.

Forty years ago, alcohol was a factor in almost two-
thirds of all traffic fatalities. Through the tireless
efforts of States, communities, and advocacy
organizations, we have made tremendous progress in
reducing impaired driving and protecting the American
people. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive year,
we have seen an increase in the number of alcohol-
impaired traffic fatalities on America's roadways. In
2016, more than 10,000 people died in alcohol-impaired
crashes, accounting for 28 percent of all traffic
fatalities. We must reverse this trend.

Drinking and driving affects all Americans. In 2012,
4.2 million adults reported having driven at least once
within a 30-day span while impaired by alcohol. Driving
while impaired, even after one drink, can dramatically
change the lives of drivers, passengers, innocent
bystanders, and their loved ones. My Administration is
committed to raising awareness about the dangers of
impaired driving and to eliminating it from our
communities. Additionally, by reducing hundreds of
harmful regulations, we are supporting our innovative
American companies as they create new technology that
can help us address impaired driving, from ride-hailing
services to advanced vehicle technology. My
Administration is also providing vital resources to law
enforcement to support their efforts to keep our
surroundings safe.

Ultimately, the responsibility for preventing impaired
driving lies with each of us. We care for our loved
ones when we keep them safe and prevent them taking the
wheel after drinking alcohol. By taking action to
educate our fellow Americans, through coordinated
efforts with family, friends, neighbors, schools,
churches, and community organizations, we can reduce
deaths and accidents arising from impaired driving.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim December 2017 as
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. I urge all
Americans to make responsible decisions and take
appropriate measures to prevent impaired driving.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
second.