The Indiana State Police is urging drivers to not push their luck next month.
State Troopers are joining a state-wide campaign in increasing patrols to target impaired and dangerous drivers.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is an important reminder coming from law enforcement agencies.
Two of the heaviest drinking events of the year, St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Tournament, take place in March.
Throughout the month, troopers are conducting federally funded overtime patrols and sobriety checkpoints to prevent dangerous and impaired driving.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, or ICJI, there were 433 alcohol-related crashes in Indiana in March of 2019.
This resulted in 205 injuries and five fatalities.
15% of these crashes and one fatality occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend alone.
The Jasper District will have extra troopers patrolling the roadways and will conduct sobriety checkpoints somewhere within the seven-county Jasper District during March.
The ISP Jasper Post says you can make the roadways safer for everyone by following these safety tips:
- Plan a safe way home before the celebration begins
- Never drive impaired
- Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
- If you choose to drink, use a taxi, public transportation, ridesharing service, or designate a sober friend or family member and give them your keys
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911
- If you know someone who is about to drive impaired take their keys and help make arrangements to get them home safely.
