The Crawfordsville Police Department announced the results of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization, which began in mid-August and lasted through Labor Day. During the 25-day enforcement period, officers conducted overtime patrols and stopped 57 vehicles and arrested two drivers for operating while intoxicated.
“This campaign is about saving lives and reminding people that there are consequences to driving impaired,” said Chief Michael T. Norman. “People don’t just drink and then ‘accidentally’ get behind the wheel. It’s always a choice, and one you should never make.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 10,000 people die every year on average in drunk driving crashes in the U.S. That is the equivalent of one person dying approximately every 50 minutes.
In 2019, 106 people were killed in alcohol-impaired collisions in Indiana, accounting for 13 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities, according to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
“Our goal with this campaign, along with law enforcement, is to reduce the number of impaired driving-related fatalities on Indiana roadways. One death is too many,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI executive director. “Help us prevent these senseless tragedies by always driving sober or finding a designated driver.”
More than 200 state and local law enforcement agencies participated in this year’s national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which was funded by NHTSA through the criminal justice institute.
Although the mobilization is over, daily enforcement continues, and the department wants to remind Indiana residents that it is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Additionally, drivers under the age of 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and having their license suspended for up to one year.
To learn about the dangers of impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober or to learn more about the CPD, visit www.crawfordsvillepolice.com.
