From August 14 through September 2, which includes the Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be working alongside local law enforcement for the If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. Drive High, Get a DUI. high-visibility enforcement campaign. The goal is to help prevent drug-impaired driving, and to arrest impaired drivers caught on the roads. NHTSA is urging drivers to refrain from driving impaired. In all 50 states, it is illegal to drive while impaired by any substance, including drugs.

“We want to support our community by keeping it safe from drug-impaired drivers,” said Courtney Parrott, Texas A&M AgriLife County Agent]. “The bottom line is that no matter what the substance is, if you are impaired, you should not be driving. We want everyone to enjoy the last weeks of summer and the Labor Day holiday. Please commit to yourself and your community members that you’ll drive sober each and every day.”

Violating Texas’s drug-impaired driving laws can be costly.

Many people believe that being high doesn’t affect driving abilities, but they are wrong. It has been proven that marijuana, like other drugs, can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.

Those who intend to use drugs should not drive. Even over-the-counter and prescription medications can have impairing effects. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.

According to Ravonne McCray, Watch UR BAC program manager, if a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has taken drugs and is considering driving, friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If anyone spots an impaired driver, they should contact local law enforcement. To learn more about the real costs of drunk driving and to find tips for a sober ride, visit www.SoberRides.org.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Watch UR BAC program is funded by TxDOT and is provided at no charge to promote alcohol awareness, the dangers of impaired driving and friends watching out for friends.

Join NHTSA in sharing the lifesaving message, If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. Drive High, Get a DUI. For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving.