[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9215--NOV. 28, 2014

Proclamation 9215 of November 28, 2014

National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

All Americans deserve to live long and full lives, and every child
should have the chance to seize his or her future. But throughout our
Nation, too many lives are tragically cut short in traffic crashes
involving drunk, drugged, or distracted driving. Impaired driving not
only puts the driver at risk--it threatens the lives of passengers and
all oth

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ers who share the road, and every year it causes the deaths of thousands
of loved ones. This month, and especially during the holiday season, we
dedicate ourselves to driving safely and responsibly, and to promoting
these behaviors among our family and friends.
Alcohol and drugs can impair perception, judgment, motor skills, and
memory--the skills critical for safe and responsible driving. And as
mobile technology becomes ubiquitous, the distractions of texting and
cell phone use continue to pose grave dangers on our roadways. Deaths
caused by impaired driving are preventable and unacceptable, and my
Administration is taking action to reduce and eliminate them. We
continue to support the law enforcement officers who work to keep us
safe and decrease impaired driving. To help save lives, States and local
communities across our Nation will participate in the national Drive
Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from December 12 to January 1,
reminding all Americans of their important responsibility.
My Administration is striving to increase awareness of the dangers and
devastating consequences of impaired driving in all its forms,
especially the growing, but often overlooked, problem of drugged
driving. Illegal drugs, as well as prescription and over-the-counter
medications, can be just as deadly on the road as alcohol, and
preventing drugged driving is a public health imperative. As part of our
2014 National Drug Control Strategy, we are working to support the data
collection that underlies evidence-based policy making, strengthening
the protections that keep drugged drivers off the road, and helping
bolster law enforcement officials' ability to identify drug-impaired
drivers.
Reducing impaired driving and keeping our roadways safe is everyone's
responsibility. Parents and other caring adults can play
an important role in educating young Americans about the dan-
gers of impaired driving; adults can model good practices while driv-
ing and can help new drivers develop safe habits. This holiday sea-
son, all Americans can drive responsibly and encourage their loved
ones to do the same, including by designating a sober driver or
making alternative transportation arrangements. For more informa-
tion, please visit www.NHTSA.gov/DriveSober, www.WhiteHouse.gov/ONDCP/
DruggedDriving, and www.Distraction.gov.
During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, let us resolve to do
our part to keep our streets and highways safe. Together, our actions
can save lives.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 2014 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 twenty-eighth day
of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA