The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office has released results from the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
The initiative ran between August 18th and Labor Day.
According to the department, officers worked a total of 32 overtime hours, stopped 91 vehicles, and made no OWI arrests. However, officers made three arrests during the campaign. Two of these were warrant arrests, and one for an operator never licensed. Officers also issued 14 citations and 85 warnings.
Over 200 law enforcement agencies participated in the statewide crackdown. Across Indiana, officers conducted extra high-visibility patrols and sobriety checkpoints to curb drunk driving, which claims the lives of more than 10,000 people every year in the U.S.
That’s approximately one person every 52 minutes or 28 per day.
In Indiana, impaired driving has been on the rise. Of the 898 traffic fatalities that occurred last year, 151, or 17 percent, were alcohol-related. That’s up from 130 in 2019, data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute shows.
Although the mobilization is over, the department wants to remind residents that driving impaired – whether it’s from drugs or alcohol – is illegal and completely preventable. Consequences can include thousands of dollars in legal fees, increased insurance rates, loss of license, a criminal record, and possible jail time.
To avoid those, plan a safe and sober ride home before going out. Even if only one drink is consumed, designate a sober driver or plan to use a rideshare service, public transportation, or taxi. Motorists that encounter a drunk driver on the road are encouraged to call 911.
