Proclamation 5918 --
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week, 1988
By
the President of the
A
Proclamation
The
holiday season is a most fitting time to reemphasize that driving while under
the influence of alcohol or drugs is dangerous and irresponsible behavior that
no one should engage in, tolerate, or permit.
Again
this year, citizens across our Nation are volunteering their time and talents
to take part in a week of observance to focus public attention on eliminating
drunk and drugged driving. Public officials at all levels have issued
proclamations, sponsored legislation, and appointed task forces; law
enforcement agencies have increased enforcement efforts; public and private
organizations have held safety campaigns; and citizens have sponsored programs
to provide rides home from holiday parties. Actions like these bring us closer
to the day when drunk and drugged drivers will no longer threaten our lives and
our families.
We
can take heart from the results of the comprehensive year-round activities to
stop drunk driving. In 1987, the proportion of motor vehicle fatalities in
which at least one driver or pedestrian was legally intoxicated was 40 percent.
That figure is down from 46.3 percent in 1982. Another significant achievement
was among intoxicated teenage drivers, whose involvement in fatal crashes
declined to 18.7 percent in 1987, down from 21 percent in 1986 and 28.4 percent
in 1982.
These
notable gains give us hope and even more reason to redouble our efforts to stop
drunk and drugged driving. This is no time for complacency.
We
must also realize that combining drugs and alcohol adds to the risk. Studies of
drivers involved in accidents reveal that many use drugs -- and that certain
drugs, either alone or in combination with alcohol, contribute to crashes. We
must all be aware of the safety risks of driving after taking drugs, including
prescription and over-the-counter drugs that carry a warning label against
driving.
We
can all help improve safety on our roads and highways by refusing to tolerate
drunk and drugged driving; by always wearing safety belts, even for short
drives; and by insisting upon prompt and effective action against alcohol- and
drug-impaired drivers.
To
encourage citizen involvement in prevention efforts and to increase awareness
of the threat to our lives and safety, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution
332, has designated the week of December 11 through December 17, 1988, as
``National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week'' and authorized and
requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this event.
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of December, in the
year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed with the Office
of the Federal Register,