The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Labor Day weekend drunk-driving enforcement campaign.  From August 17 - September 3, local law enforcement showed zero tolerance for impaired driving.

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office ramped up its usual enforcement efforts, adding 2 additional deputies for the enforcement.  The Sheriff said that by removing drunk drivers from the roads, many lives were likely saved.

"Drunk driving is a problem on our community's roads, and the Drive Sober or Get Pulled over campaign gives our enforcement an opportunity to help spread the message that this behavior is deadly and illegal," said Sheriff Brad A. DeLay.

Over the 2016 Labor Day Holiday period (6 p.m. September 2 - 5:59 a.m. September 6), there were 433 crash fatalities nationwide.  Of the fatal crashes, more than one-third (36%) involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ blood alcohol concentration [BAC]), and one-fourth (25%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC).  Age is a particularly risky factor:  Among the drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2016, 47 percent of those fatalities involved drunk drivers with BACs of .08 or higher.

"It is the party goer's responsibility to refrain from drinking and driving," said Sheriff Brad DeLay.  "That is why it is essential to use one of the countless tools available to ensure you get home safely.  Drinking and driving is a choice; one you should never make."

For more information on this and other highway safety campaigns, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.