[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 48 (Monday, December 6, 1993)]
[Pages 2505-2506]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6633--National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, 
1993

 December 3, 1993

By the President of the United States

A Proclamation

    The 1993 holiday season is an ideal time to ask ourselves what more 
can be done to prevent drunk and drugged driving--one of our Nation's 
most serious public health and safety problems. Each year, thousands of 
Americans are killed or seriously injured because of drunk and drugged 
drivers. During this National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention 
Month, I ask each citizen to work actively to help improve the safety of 
our roads and highways by pledging not to drink and drive. In addition, 
we must be alert to the risks of the road and make a special effort to 
ensure that others do the same.
    As in past years, citizens across the country are participating in 
programs and activities to focus public attention on the prevention of 
driving under the influence of mind-altering substances. Public 
officials at all levels are sponsoring anti-drunk and anti-drugged 
driving legislation, appointing special task forces, and issuing 
proclamations; law enforcement agencies are increasing enforcement 
efforts; public and private organizations are holding safety campaigns, 
including candlelight vigils in memory of those killed due to driving 
catastrophes caused by drunk and drugged drivers. Just as important, 
citizens are sponsoring volunteer programs to provide rides home from 
holiday parties. These are just some of the things that each of us can 
do to help in the fight against drunk and drugged driving.
    Despite some encouraging results in recent years from many 
community-based efforts to curtail drunk and drugged driving, 45 percent 
of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in 1992 were alcohol-related, and 
about 80 percent of these involved a legally intoxicated driver or 
pedestrian. For 1992, that meant that alcohol was a factor in 
approximately 17,700 traffic deaths. Drunk driving remains our number 
one highway safety problem, re- 

[[Page 2506]]

quiring comprehensive State and local actions to reduce and prevent 
these unnecessary tragedies. Reductions in alcohol-related accidents 
will also be powerful medicine in the Nation's attempts to lower health 
care costs. Just reducing the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities 
from 45 to 43 percent of total annual traffic fatalities--and related 
injuries by a proportionate amount--would save 1,200 lives.
    Each of us can help prevent drunk and drugged drivers from exacting 
their terrible toll in lives, suffering, and related health care costs 
by refusing to tolerate drunk and drugged driving in our community, by 
insisting that local police aggressively enforce anti-drunk and anti-
drugged driving laws, and by encouraging other citizens to become 
involved in these activities.
    We also need to realize that the combination of legal or illegal 
drugs and alcohol is especially hazardous and contributes to loss of 
control, loss of judgment, and certainly, loss of the ability to safely 
navigate a vehicle.
    In order to promote more citizen involvement in prevention efforts 
and in order to increase awareness of the seriousness of the threat to 
our lives and safety, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 122, has 
designated the month of December 1993 as ``National Drunk and Drugged 
Driving Prevention Month'' and has authorized and requested the 
President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim December 1993 as National Drunk 
and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. I ask all Americans to reaffirm 
their commitment to make drunk and drugged driving unacceptable and to 
take steps to intervene when necessary to stop anyone impaired by 
alcohol or drugs from getting behind the wheel. I also call upon public 
officials at all levels and interested citizens and groups to observe 
this month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities as an 
expression of their commitment to educate and stop would-be drunk and 
drugged drivers in their communities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of 
December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:21 p.m., December 3, 
1993]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
December 6.