On August 26, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) staff and volunteers are teaming up with law enforcement in South Dakota for “Saturation Saturday,” an annual effort to saturate communities with facts, tips, law enforcement patrols and sobriety checkpoints to stop impaired driving.
Saturation Saturday kicks off one of the busiest travel weeks of the year and comes at a time when traffic fatalities are at a 16-year high, with 41% of fatal crashes during Labor Day weekend due to drunk driving. In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, 52 people in South Dakota lost their lives due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
“Since 2018, we have seen a 27% increase in deaths caused by drunk driving and the number rises as we head toward Labor Day weekend,” said MADD CEO Stacey Stewart.
“This ‘Saturation Saturday’ and every day, MADD works closely with law enforcement to stop drunk driving, which is a 100% preventable crime.”
From Saturation Saturday through Labor Day, MADD intensifies its work with law enforcement agencies across the country to encourage DUI patrols and support sobriety checkpoints, which reduce drunk driving deaths by up to 20%, according to the U.S. CDC. These prevention efforts coincide with NHTSA’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
This year’s Saturation Saturday events in South Dakota will include virtual activation to highlight impaired driving prevention efforts by law enforcement during the annual National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Across the country and in South Dakota, MADD staff and volunteers will share facts, victim stories, raise awareness on social media, and distribute materials on the dangers of impaired driving.
“Every 79 seconds, someone in this country is killed or injured by drunk driving. In South Dakota, we can and must do better,” said Veronica Hawman, Regional Executive Director, MADD MN, ND & SD.
If you, or someone you love, has been the victim of impaired driving, support is available at no cost 24 hours a day via the MADD Victim Help Line 1-877 MADDHELP (1-877-623-3435) or www.MADD.org.