During the Labor Day holiday, including the end of summertime and the busy Labor Day weekend, the Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition is working alongside the law enforcement to decrease impaired driving. From Aug. 19 through Sept. 5, area law enforcement will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement period. Law enforcement is reminding drivers: no matter how you plan to celebrate the end of summer, make sure you plan for a safe ride home.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, in Ohio 404 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. Nationwide, during the 2020 Labor Day holiday period alone, there were 530 crash fatalities. Forty-six percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and one-fourth (25%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 21 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2020, 44% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of 08 or higher.
“Drunk driving is not just illegal, it’s a matter of life and death,” Wyandot County Sheriff Todd Frey said. “We want our community members to understand that it is our priority to keep people safe. We’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking."
Try these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
- If you see a drunk or impaired driver on the road report it to local law enforcement.
- Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
“We want everyone to have a fun and safe holiday, but drunk driving is not acceptable,” Frey said. “There are safe alternatives to get you home safely. Please use them.”
For more information on impaired driving, visit @WyandotHealth social media.
