[Title 3 CFR 7057]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - January 1, 1998 Edition]
[Title 3 - Presidential Documents]
[Proclamation 7057 - Proclamation 7057 of December 1, 1997]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


3Presidential Documents11998-01-011998-01-01false7057Proclamation 7057Presidential Documents
Proclamation 7057 of December 1, 1997

National Drunk And Drugged Driving Prevention Month, 1997

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Driving is a privilege enjoyed by millions of Americans. It offers us 
freedom, mobility, and the chance to discover what lies over the next 
hill or around the next bend in the road. But driving also brings with 
it serious responsibilities. Among the most important of these is a 
driver's responsibility to stay sober. Tragically, many Americans ignore 
this responsibility.
Drunk or drugged drivers are a menace not only to themselves, but also 
to the communities in which they drive. Last year alone, they killed 
more than 17,000 of their fellow citizens and injured thousands more. 
Research has shown that teenage drivers and those aged 21 to 34 are most 
likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.


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We must reaffirm our commitment to educate these and all drivers about 
the dangers of operating a vehicle after consuming alcohol or drugs, and 
we must strengthen law enforcement efforts that will prevent impaired 
drivers from getting behind the wheel in the first place. We must also 
work together as a national community to make drunk and drugged driving 
socially unacceptable, and continue to support educational programs and 
legislation that teach all our citizens the terrible risks of drunk and 
drugged driving. By doing so, we can prevent thousands of deaths and 
injuries each year and protect our families, our friends, and ourselves 
from becoming victims of this deadly behavior.
I am proud of the ``Zero Alcohol Tolerance'' legislation that 45 States 
and the District of Columbia have adopted, making it illegal for drivers 
under the age of 21 who have been drinking to drive a motor vehicle. I 
call upon all Americans, including policymakers, community leaders, 
State officials, parents, educators, health and medical professionals, 
and other concerned citizens to continue to support such legislation and 
to work together to save lives. I challenge American businesses to take 
a stand against impaired driving both on and off the job and to remember 
that an alcohol- and drug-free workplace is the right and responsibility 
of every worker. Finally, in memory of the thousands who have lost their 
lives to drunk and drugged drivers, I ask all motorists to participate 
in ``National Lights on for Life Day'' on Friday, December 19, 1997, by 
driving with vehicle headlights illuminated. In doing so, we will call 
attention to this critical national problem and remind others on the 
road of their responsibility to drive free of the influence of drugs and 
alcohol.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of 
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1997 as National 
Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. I urge all Americans to 
recognize the dangers of impaired driving; to take responsibility for 
themselves and others around them; to prevent anyone under the influence 
of alcohol or drugs from getting behind the wheel; and to help teach our 
young people about the importance and the benefits of safe driving 
behavior.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of 
December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-second.
                                                    WILLIAM J. CLINTON