The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging motorists to drive sober. During a Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, troopers will focus enforcement efforts on removing impaired drivers from Ohio’s roadways.

Motorists can do their part in keeping the roadways safe by following all traffic laws, never driving impaired, and always designating a sober driver. In 2018, there were 13,364 OVI-related crashes in Ohio, which resulted in 402 deaths and 7,811 injuries.

“Our focus is removing impaired drivers from our roadways and educating motorists of the dangers it presents,” said Lt. Stan Jordan, Wilmington OSP Post commander. “We take impaired driving seriously and remain dedicated to promoting safety on Ohio’s roadways.”

Of those OVI-related crashes, 54 percent of at fault drivers were between 21 and 39 years old, while 67 percent were male. In 2018, troopers arrested 26,614 drivers for OVI.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over reporting period begins Aug. 14 and will run through Sept. 2.

Motorists are encouraged to dial #677 to report impaired drivers and drug activity to the patrol.

For a complete statistical breakdown of impaired driving in Ohio, visit https://statepatrol.ohio.gov/links/OVI_Bulletin.pdf.

Submitted by Lt. Stan A. Jordan, Wilmington Post commander, Ohio State Highway Patrol.