Oklahoma celebrates "Tree of Life" Holiday campaign

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, December 10th, as the Oklahoma ABLE Commission, Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other local law enforcement agencies launch both the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Oklahoma County Tree of Life campaigns to remind Oklahomans to not drive under the influence this holiday season. Driving under the influence of any substance is deadly and devastating to families, friends and communities.

Each year the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies across the State join the national high-visibility Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization to educate the public about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk or impaired. This mobilization starts on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, and will conclude on Monday, January 1, 2025. "We want all drivers in Oklahoma to understand the dangerous, and often deadly, consequences of impaired driving," said Oklahoma Highway Safety Office Director Paul Harris. "It is life-altering and heart-breaking for so many people. Driving impaired is never worth the risk."

The Oklahoma County Tree of Life campaign aims to do the same and is designed to serve as a stark visual reminder of the local lives lost to impaired driving. The Tree of Life features a Christmas Tree prominently placed in the lower-level west wing of Penn Square Mall. At the foot of the tree will be 146 wrapped gifts to represent the 146 people that have died at the hands of impaired drivers in Oklahoma County since 2020.

"Since 2020, there have been 146 lives that have been lost in Oklahoma County at the hands of someone who selfishly chose to drive impaired. Driving under the influence does not only apply to alcohol-related incidents, but it includes drug-related incidents as well. That makes 146 empty chairs at holiday dinner tables as well as 146 families that have been destroyed. Driving while impaired is 100% preventable," said Senior Agent Vanessa Blain of the Oklahoma ABLE Commission.

An official Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 am on Tuesday, December 10th, at the lower-level west wing of Penn Square Mall. During the ceremony there will be representatives from the Oklahoma ABLE Commission, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office and victims of impaired driving discussing the importance of having a plan and utilizing designated drivers. All are welcome to attend, including the public and media. For more information on the Tree of Life Ceremony and campaign, contact Vanessa Blain at vanessa.blain@able.ok.gov or 405-215-7382. For more information on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign and mobilization, contact Megan Cardenas at megan.cardenas@dps.ok.gov or 405-694-6289.