Labor Day message: Drive sober
August 25, 2026 | By Waterbury RoundaboutThe Vermont Agency of Transportation’s State Highway Safety Office announced a campaign to promote sober driving ahead of and through the Labor Day holiday this year.
Vermont joins law enforcement agencies across the nation to urge drivers to drive sober, particularly heading into the end-of-summer holiday stretch through Monday, Sept. 7, Labor Day.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working alongside law enforcement across the country for a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement campaign. The goal is to deter impaired driving to prevent fatal crashes, which are common on Labor Day holiday weekends.
State, county and municipal law enforcement members participated in a press conference last week along with state government and education leaders.
“We implore people to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking or celebrating,” said Vermont Highway Patrol Captain Matthew Nesto. “Impaired driving is illegal and dangerous, and it can have devastating consequences. We all want the same thing: for everyone on our roads to get home safely. Help us protect the community and put an end to impaired driving.”
Some statistics on impaired driving in Vermont:
From 2021 to 2025 in Vermont, 59% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involved an impaired driver, with 199 fatalities occurring from impaired driving.
In the last 10 years (2016-2025) there were 366 fatalities involving impaired drivers.
When a crash involves an impaired driver, people are 11.5% more likely to be seriously injured or killed.
From 2021 to 2025, 259 children were involved in crashes with impaired drivers.
In 2025, 60% of all fatal crashes involved an impaired driver.
State and law enforcement officials urge anyone who is unable to drive to give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. Likewise, when someone has been drinking or using drugs and is considering driving, friends should step in to take away their keys and help them get a sober ride home.
Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn stressed the importance of having a plan to get home safely rather than driving impaired. “Impairment clouds judgment. We want everyone to get home safely,” he said.
If motorists think they are witnessing an impaired driver on the road, they should call 911 and report it.
For more information on impaired driving, visit the NHTSA website or Drive Well Vermont.