State officials host safety campaign ahead of ESSENCE Fest

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is holding a press conference announcing its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

MOBILE USERS: Click here to watch the news conference live at 10:30 a.m.

The event will be Thursday at the Mercedes Benz Superdome Champions Square in New Orleans.

LHSC Executive Director, Lisa Freeman will be joined by local and state public safety officials at the press conference in anticipation of hosting thousands of visitors at the annual Essence Festival.

Looking out for drunk drivers, law enforcement officials throughout Louisiana are prepared to combat impaired driving during the extended Independence Day holiday season.  The news conference will focus on creating awareness surrounding the dangers of drinking and driving aimed at reducing the number of impaired drivers on the highway and the resulting fatal or serious injury crashes.

On a national level more than 10,000 persons lose their lives to drunk driving each year on average.  Louisiana has experienced a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities than the national average in the most recent five years with 33% of all vehicle fatalities involving alcohol.

"As a former prosecutor, I have seen the physical, emotional, and financial costs of impaired driving, and they are devastating," said LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman.  "Our goal is to prevent people from drinking and driving in a loud and clear way, but those who choose not to get the message will be stopped and arrested."

Director Freeman and other public safety officials want those who get behind the wheel to be sober in mind and body.

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