​Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission joined together at Point State Park in Pittsburgh today urging safe and responsible celebration this coming holiday weekend, and always.

"Independence Day is a time for celebration, but before heading out to these celebrations we urge Pennsylvanians to keep safety in mind," said PennDOT Executive Deputy Secretary Cheryl Moon-Sirianni. "If your celebration includes alcohol, plan ahead by designating a sober driver or arranging for alternate transportation. Never drive impaired."

The event kicked off Operation Dry Water, a nationally coordinated campaign featuring a period of heightened boating under the influence (BUI) awareness and enforcement around the popular Fourth of July holiday weekend. This year, law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania and across the country will conduct enhanced BUI patrols from July 1-3, 2023, in an effort to remove impaired boaters from our waterways and increase public safety.

Data from the Fish and Boat Commission shows that there were 45 boating-under-the-influence arrests in 2022.

"When you operate a boat while impaired, you're risking your own life, the lives of everyone on board, and all others sharing the water around you," said Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. "Waterways conservation officers are trained to recognize signs of impairment and will be conducting enhanced BUI patrols throughout the holiday weekend.  Please, don't drink and boat."

Pennsylvania is a boating destination state, and boaters drive to and from their boating location. When an impaired boat operator gets behind the wheel to drive home, a BUI becomes a DUI.

According to PennDOT data, there were 241 crashes on July 4 last year, resulting in two fatalities and 167 injuries. Of those crashes, 36 were alcohol-related, resulting in 22 injuries, and 10 were drug-related.

The Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement will conduct driving under the influence (DUI) enforcement over the holiday, including checkpoints and roving patrols. This effort is funded through PennDOT's statewide annual distribution of approximately $6 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for impaired driving enforcement.

"The safety of our roads is a top priority of the PSP and its municipal law enforcement partners, and we take a zero-tolerance approach toward anyone who endangers the welfare and lives of others by driving intoxicated," said PSP Director of the Communications Office Lt. Adam Reed. "Drive sober, drive safely, and always wear your seatbelts."

DCNR manages 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest lands that permit recreational activities including boating and ATV riding. Pennsylvania ranks top five in the U.S. for ATV crashes, with many of those incidents involving alcohol.

Possessing, selling or consuming alcoholic beverages is prohibited on DCNR lands except at specially designated facilities operated or leased by the department. DCNR reminds visitors to practice safe behavior, follow recreation guidelines, and to comply with all posted safety signage.

"Whether in transit to and from our beautiful public lands or using a motorized vehicle to recreate, we encourage all visitors to be responsible as we celebrate this nation's independence," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "Many of the worst reported accidents occur when people do not follow guidelines in place, which is why we encourage visitors to always practice safe behavior when taking in nature in state parks and forests."

If you have plans for travel this holiday weekend, "Know Before You Go" by checking the 511PA "Holiday Interstate Lane Restrictions" page. While PennDOT will remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible, the "Holiday Travel Restrictions" page allows the public to view interstate restrictions that will be in place during the holiday travel period.

The public can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles in Pennsylvania by visiting www.511PA.com. The service, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

To learn more about PennDOT's efforts to prevent impaired driving or other safety initiatives, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit psp.pa.gov.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, visit fishandboat.com.

For more information about state parks and state forests, visit the DCNR website.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Jennifer Kuntch, PennDOT, 717-705-1551 or jkuntch@pa.gov, Myles Snyder, PSP, 717-783-5556 or ra-pspcomm@pa.gov landers@pa.gov, Wesley Robinson, DCNR, 717-877-6315 or werobinson@pa.gov