Impaired driving crackdown begins Friday

Local law enforcement will be cracking down on impaired drivers starting Friday.The annual "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" is a statewide campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, mixing high-visibility enforcement with public education.It runs through the holidays until New Year's Day.In the last five years, there have been nearly 37,000 alcohol-involved crashes causing more than 679 fatalities, according to statistics.Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in the state were alcohol-related.Nationally, 10,511 people died in drunk-driving crashes last year. Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2019 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.