Drive sober or get pulled over

LIMA__During this busy winter holiday season, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with local law enforcement agencies to urge drivers to think twice before drinking and driving. Drivers will see officers working on a special high-visibility enforcement campaign to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving from December 15, 2023, through January 1, 2024. 

Tragically, December can be a dangerous time for people on the roads. During the 2017-2021 December months, there were more than 4,500 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. In December 2021 alone, 1,013 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. More parties and festivities celebrating the season bring out more drunk drivers.

The Lima-Allen County Safe Community Coalition urges drivers to always plana safe way home before heading out to a celebration. 

No one should mix drinking and driving, and no one is immune to the effects of drunk driving. Always have a plan before you head out for the evening. If you wait until after you’ve been drinking to figure out how to get from one place to the next, you will already be too impaired to make the right choices.

• Be responsible and don’t risk it… you will be caught.
• If you plan to drink, choose a non-drinking designated driver before going out. 
• Take transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home. 
• Spend the night where the activity is being held. 
• Take the keys away from a friend who is about to drink and drive. 
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. 
• Always buckle up -- it is your best defense against an impaired driver.