Delaware, Oh. — Members of the SAFE Delaware County Coalition will kick off the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign on Friday, August 18 starting at 12pm at the Jon Peterson Memorial Plaza (outside Delaware County Courthouse) to recognize law enforcement’s annual effort to decrease impaired driving now through Labor Day weekend.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign goes into effect across the country Aug. 16 – Sept. 4, 2023. One of the deadliest and most often committed crimes has become a serious safety epidemic as OVI-related crashes accounted for 55 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in Ohio from 2020-2022.

“We can’t fight the battle against impaired driving on our own,” said Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Robert Curry. “That’s why every law enforcement agency in Delaware County will be stepping up impaired driving enforcement now through the Labor Day weekend. We need the commitment of drivers to make our roads safe by planning ahead to designate a sober driver and insisting that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up.”

Curry added that detecting and apprehending impaired drivers remains a primary focus.

“Our officers are constantly focused on locating and removing impaired drivers from the roadways while on patrol,” said Curry.

Members of the media along with SAFE Coalition members, law enforcement representatives and county officials are invited to attend the kick-off event.  

For more information on impaired driving, visit nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving. 

As the lead agency of the SAFE Delaware County Coalition, the Delaware Public Health District partners with local law enforcement, hospital and health care providers, fire departments and emergency medical personnel, schools, businesses and community groups to provide educational programs and resources relating to injury prevention to keep our county a safe place to live.

Last Updated on August 16, 2023