By SCOTT PERKINS | Monroe County Sheriff
Whether the cause is alcohol, prescription medication or other drugs, driving impaired endangers everyone traveling along our roadways. Nationally, one-third of all traffic deaths involve drunk drivers. Last year in Wisconsin, alcohol-related crashes resulted in 143 deaths and more than 2,900 injuries. In addition, there were more than 24,700 traffic convictions for drunken driving in Wisconsin.
Those are sobering statistics. And they help explain why the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office will join law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin for the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4.
Everyone must play a role in this life-saving effort. If you see a driver that you suspect is impaired, call 911 and provide as much detail as you can regarding the driver, their vehicle, and specific location. And if you’re ever faced with the choice of driving while possibly impaired vs. turning over your vehicle keys to someone sober, consider this:
• A drunken-driving arrest can cause major embarrassment, expensive penalties, suspension or revocation of your driver’s license and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicles.
• If you injure or kill someone while driving impaired, you will face a jail sentence.
Due to its serious consequences, driving drunk will be a decision you’ll regret the rest of your life.
For our department, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is more than a catchy slogan. It’s something we take very seriously throughout the year as part of our larger, collective efforts to keep roadways as safe as possible for everyone. In the last three months, Monroe County deputies made 62 OWI arrests.
Editor’s note: The Norwalk and Ontario police departments also are participating in the campaign.
