The Lake County Safe Communities Coalition (LCSCC)is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of not driving while impaired, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement effort. The national impaired driving campaign is during the Labor Day holiday and runs from mid-August to September 4, 2023, and multiple Lake County law enforcementagencieswill be participating in the enforcement effort. On Friday August 18, the LCSCC and local law enforcement agencies are partnering with the Painesville Speedway to promote safe driving habits with a kickoff event beginning at 4:30pm at the Painesville Speedway (500 Fairport Nursery Rd, Painesville, OH 44077). The LCSCC will have a booth with fun games, safe driving pledges, and raffle prizes. At 6:45pm, before the race starts, Sergeant Jerry Infalvi with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office will speak about the dangerous risks of driving impaired and not securing a safe ride home through a designated driver or ride share program.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Sergeant Jerry Infalvi with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.“We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe summertime and Labor Day holiday. This is an awareness effort to get the message out that impaired driving is illegal, and it takes lives.”
During the 2021 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. September 3 – 5:59 a.m. September 7), there were 531 crash fatalities nationwide. Of these 531 traffic crash fatalities, 41% (216) involved a drunk driver, and more than a quarter (27%) involved drivers who were driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor as well. Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2021, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.
In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this time to take impaired drivers off the roads. “Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” Sergeant Infalvi went on to say. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely.
The LCSCCrecommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve 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 driver on the road, contact 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.
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
