An impaired driving simulator will be set up for community members to interact with, according to a health district press release.
The annual awareness and enforcement initiative runs Aug. 19 through Sept. 5 this year.
As the Labor Day holiday nears, the health district’s Safe Communities Coalition is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Automobile Association (AAA) to remind motorists to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” according to the release.
As families get together on Labor Day weekend to relax with loved ones and celebrate the end of summer, area health officials and law enforcement agencies urge planning for safety.
“Impaired driving is a very preventable situation,” said Kara Hitchens, AAA public affairs manager. “And drivers should know that we are not only talking about alcohol as the impairing substance. Drugs, even prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs can cause impairment.”
Clark County’s law enforcement agencies will be patrolling the area during the holiday weekend in “expanded efforts,” according to the release.
Last year, 12 traffic fatalities were reported over Labor Day weekend in Ohio, one occurring in neighboring Greene County. 357 traffic incidents – ranging from OVIs to safety belt violations and more – were reported in Clark County from Sept. 3-6 last year, according to the Ohio State High Patrol.
Impaired driving remains one of the deadliest — yet preventable — crimes. NHTSA reports that 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver, a 14% increase from 2019.
AAA studies also have found most alcohol-impaired crashes occur in the evening and weekends, and drug-impaired crashes have increasingly occurred during the daytime, rush-hour – particularly the morning rush.
So far in 2022 in Clark County, there have been 429 OVI enforcement stops, according to the release.
NHTSA urges everyone to plan ahead and never drive after consuming alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. Instead, people should designate a sober driver, or call a ridehailing service or cab. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is illegal in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to an NHSTA release.
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