The Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership announced today its participation in the national and statewide 2016 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from Aug. 12 to Sept. 5.
The Traffic Safety Partnership consists of cooperation between the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Carmel Police Dept. Cicero Police Dept., Fishers Police Dept., Noblesville Police Dept., Westfield Police Dept. and the Indiana State Police.
During the period of just more than three weeks, officers from these agencies will work to increase the usage of seatbelts, combat aggressive driving and decrease impaired driving with the overall goal of creating a safer Hamilton County.
Officers will join more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies, and thousands more across the country, to conduct high-visibility patrols encouraging drivers against drinking and driving.
“Ensuring drivers and their passengers are safe on the road is one of our key priorities,” Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen stated. “This campaign allows us the opportunity to remind everyone behind the wheel that driving intoxicated is against the law. We will be out in full patrol, and chances are, if you drive impaired, we will pull you over.”
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative is an annual enforcement effort supported by federal funding allocated to the Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership from the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. According to ICJI, in 2015, there were 4,828 alcohol-impaired collisions in Indiana, resulting in 92 fatalities. This is a 26.5 percent decrease in the number of alcohol-impaired collisions, and a 9 percent decrease in resulting fatalities, from 2014.
“While this decrease in alcohol-impaired collisions and fatalities means we’re on the right track, there’s still room for improvement” ICJI Director Dave Murtaugh said. “In an effort to ensure our roads are safe at every turn, we will continue increase Indiana’s education and enforcement on impaired driving.”
Indiana law enforcement agencies have been actively involved in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign for more than 20 years.
For more, visit hwww.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.
