PROCLAMATION 6171—AUG. 20, 1990 104 STAT. 5343 tance of having and using the right to vote. As Americans, we are both heirs to and guardians of the blessings of liberty and self-government. Exercising our right to vote is one of the most important ways we can help to advance the ideals expressed in our Nation's founding documents and ensure justice and equal opportunity for all Americans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, 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 August 26, 1990, as Women's Equality Day, a day to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6171 of August 20, 1990 National Drive for Life Weekend, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The Labor Day weekend is an ideal time to remind ourselves of the grave threat posed to each of us by alcohol-impaired driving—a tragic and senseless occurrence that remains our Nation's number one highway safety problem. During this weekend, we should be especially mindful that irresponsible drinking can quickly destroy a festive holiday by causing injury and death. Last year more than 23,000 people were killed in the United States as a result of alcohol-related highway crashes—an average of 65 individuals each day. Although the proportion of traffic deaths related to alcohol has declined during the last few years, approximately one-half of all fatal motor vehicle crashes continue to be alcohol-related. The Drive for Life campaign is designed to reduce the high number of alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States by promoting a month-long public awareness program aimed at educating all Americans on the dangers of drunk driving. By focusing on the Labor Day weekend, when the number of alcohol-related highway crashes traditionally exceeds the average by about 10 percent, the Drive for Life campaign will help to concentrate the Nation's attention on the serious dangers of drunk driving. During the Labor Day weekend and, indeed, throughout the year, we should also be mindful of the dangers posed by drivers who are impaired by drugs other than alcohol. Certain drugs—legal as well as illegal, and either alone or in combination with alcohol—are major contributors to highway crashes. All of us should be aware of the risks of driving after taking prescribed medications or over-the-counter drugs, especially those that have labels warning against operating a motor ve-
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