Drive Sober, Save Lives: Why September Is Critical for DUI Awareness
As the leaves begin to turn and the air starts to cool, September brings a seasonal shift that goes beyond just the weather. It is also a time to raise awareness and take action during National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, which is observed in many states and regions each September. For Road Radio USA, this is more than a campaign – it is a call to protect our youth, our communities, and our roads from one of the most preventable causes of death and injury: impaired driving.
Impaired driving continues to be a devastating and deadly issue across the country, and its impact is felt deeply at the local level. Whether the impairment comes from alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both, the outcome is often the same: shattered lives, broken families, and communities left reeling from loss that didn’t have to happen.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2023, over 13,500 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities in the United States. That is one life lost every 39 minutes due to someone choosing to drive after drinking or using drugs. In Pennsylvania, where Road Radio USA is based, impaired driving was responsible for 6,636 alcohol-related crashes and 295 fatalities in 2023. These are not just statistics. These are sons and daughters. These are classmates, teammates, coworkers, and friends.
Locally, Lycoming County and surrounding areas have not been immune to this crisis. In fact, some of the most powerful insights we’ve heard come directly from people like Rodney Wilson, a retired drug and alcohol counselor who spoke with us on a recent episode of the Proactive Prevention Podcast. Rodney spent decades working with youth and adults in recovery, and he’s seen firsthand how substance use and impaired driving tear through families and communities. As he shared in the interview, a dangerous combination of peer pressure, trauma, generational addiction, and easy access to prescription drugs often sets the stage for young people to fall into substance use – sometimes without even realizing it until it’s too late.
Rodney described how students injured during sports games are prescribed strong opioids, and how quickly those prescriptions can lead to dependence. He’s seen how once those prescriptions run out or become too expensive, teens often turn to street drugs, not fully understanding what they’re using. And now, with fentanyl contaminating everything from counterfeit pills to marijuana, the risk of death doesn’t just come from getting behind the wheel. It can come from one bad decision, one unknowing moment, one substance laced with something lethal.
When those substances impair judgment, reaction time, and decision-making, and then get paired with driving, the results are catastrophic. Add to that the belief held by many teens that they are “just fine” to drive, and we have a recipe for tragedy. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 1 in 4 teen drivers say they have driven under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or another drug. Many believe they drive just as well – or even better – when high. This is not only incorrect, but incredibly dangerous.
September marks a fresh start for many students. It’s back to school, back to sports, back to routines. But it’s also a time when parties pick up, peer pressure kicks in, and social gatherings become common. It’s during this month that we need to have serious, proactive conversations with our teens – not only about the dangers of driving under the influence but also about their own power to say no, to call for a ride, to look out for each other, and to walk away when something doesn’t feel right.
So what can prevention look like?
First, it starts at home. Parents play a vital role in shaping their teens’ attitudes toward drinking, drugs, and driving. A 2024 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that teens who reported regular, open conversations with their parents about substance use were 43 percent less likely to engage in risky driving behaviors. Teens are listening, even if they act like they’re not. But the message has to be clear and consistent: no alcohol, no drugs, no impaired driving. Ever.
Schools can reinforce that message with curriculum that includes real stories, hands-on education, and student-led prevention initiatives. Programs like Road Radio USA work because they connect directly with students where they are – emotionally, developmentally, and culturally. We don’t talk at them. We listen, we engage, and we invite them into the conversation.
Law enforcement also plays a key role. Across Pennsylvania, local police departments often run increased DUI checkpoints in September, especially on weekends and around homecoming events. These high-visibility enforcement efforts are supported by the state’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which aligns with NHTSA’s national efforts. In 2024, those enforcement periods helped remove nearly 7,000 impaired drivers from Pennsylvania roads.
But prevention is not just about stopping bad behavior. It’s also about providing safe alternatives. Community-based efforts, like designated driver programs, free ride-share initiatives on weekends, and school-sponsored events that offer drug- and alcohol-free environments, all help shift the culture. When young people are given real choices, they are more likely to make smart ones.
We also need to talk about accountability and recovery. Rodney Wilson spoke candidly about his own journey, and how it wasn’t until he hit a true breaking point that he was able to begin healing. “Once you make up your mind that you’re finished,” he said, “that’s the game changer.” His message was clear: you are not stuck. You are not broken forever. But you have to choose change. You have to take ownership. And you have to get honest about the damage addiction can do – not just to yourself, but to everyone around you.
That kind of radical honesty and personal accountability is what drives real recovery, and it’s what helps communities heal. It’s also why prevention must go hand-in-hand with support. We can’t just tell young people not to use drugs or alcohol. We have to create communities where they feel seen, where they feel safe, and where they have adults in their lives who will walk alongside them when things get hard.
This September, Road Radio USA invites you to be part of the solution. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, coach, student, police officer, business owner, or neighbor, you have a role to play. Start the conversation. Share the facts. Offer support. Speak up if you see something concerning. Praise the kids who make good choices. Be the person someone can call if they need a safe ride home.
Here’s one more reason this month matters: impaired driving deaths are preventable.
Every single one of them. There is no excuse and no situation where it’s worth the risk. Lives are forever changed because someone thought they could drive buzzed, high, tipsy, or tired. Someone thought it was “just a short drive.” Someone thought they didn’t need to call a ride. And someone else paid the price.
Let’s do better.
Let’s make September the month we stop sugarcoating the reality of impaired driving and start being real with the people we love. Let’s use this season of fresh starts to push reset on our community’s relationship with alcohol, drugs, and driving. Let’s turn this month into a movement, not just a moment.
Drive sober. Save lives. It’s that simple – and that important.