Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is Underway

Local law enforcement agencies are pushing people to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”. The initiative is increasing enforcement and patrols around the area – and the country – through Labor Day. Captain Ryan Waldschmidt points out that the timing is purposeful. He says “the holiday seasons are always more specifically focused because statistically, alcohol-related crashes increase – so these are the targeted times that we really work even above and beyond with really pushing the message for people to think twice and really remember to think twice.”

Waldschmidt points out that sometimes your body can’t tell how intoxicated you actually are “because your reaction time is slower and you coordination is slower, your body doesn’t even necessarily recognize sometimes that you’re under the influence – which compounds the problem because once you’re under the influence you don’t even realize you are because of the physiological effects.”

He adds that common slogans used during the campaign are more accurate than some people might think. Waldschmidt echoes that “buzzed driving is drunk driving. And basically if you’re buzzed or you
can feel the effects of alcohol in your system, you’re certainly under some
level of influence and your coordination is just not going to be as good as if
you were completely clear headed, clear minded, and alcohol free.”

Waldschmidt recommends planning ahead and always opting for a safer option to get home, just in case.