08/16/11 The Indiana State Police has announced that troopers will participate in Operation Pull Over Blitz 68 campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Beginning August 19, the state police will join more than 260 Indiana law enforcement agencies that will crackdown on impaired drivers. The campaign will continue through September 5.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), statistics show that twice as many alcohol-impaired collisions occur over the weekend and are more likely to occur during evening hours.
Indiana has seen a decline in alcohol-related crashes over the past five years, however, too many drivers continue to climb behind the wheel and drive impaired, commented Bremen Post Commander Lt. James Strong. Of the more than 400 alcohol-related collisions on Indiana roadways in 2010, nearly 40 percent resulted in death or injury.
According to the most recent data from NHTSA, nearly a third of the nation’s traffic-related motor vehicle fatalities involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol content of more than .08.
“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a national enforcement effort supported by federal funding allocated to the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). Nearly 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the country will participate in this annual enforcement effort. Indiana’s crackdown on impaired driving will be reinforced by both statewide and national media campaigns, as well as public outreach efforts geared towards the prevention of impaired driving.
For more information, visit NHTSA’s High-Visibility Enforcement Campaign Headquarters at: www.StopImpairedDriving.org
