Crackdown on impaired driving begins today

More than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies launched a “high-visibility crackdown” on impaired driving beginning March 8.

The initiative, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” is a 16-day effort geared toward major March sporting events and St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

“This enforcement effort is about showing a strong and visible police presence aimed at deterring dangerous behaviors and getting drunk drivers off the streets,” said Mary Allen, executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, in a press release. “Similar to the previous enforcement effort that occurred in conjunction with the New Year, our law enforcement partners want Indiana motorists to be fully aware of the current enforcement effort and encourage people to always designate a sober driver or make alternate arrangements to get home safely.”

High-visibility enforcement efforts consist of sobriety checkpoints and saturation controls.
There were 6,264 alcohol-related collisions in Indiana with 97 subsequent fatalities last year, according to ICJI. Similarly, last March, there were 524 alcohol-related collisions in Indiana.

“These unfortunate statistics demand a sober solution,” Allen said in the release. “Whether you are meeting with friends at the local bar after work, watching a sporting event or participating in any number of St. Patrick’s Day festivities, if you plan on drinking alcohol, don’t drive. Designate a sober driver instead.”

— Michael Majchrowicz