Marion Co. Sheriff’s Office – 12/20/21 7:59 AM
This holiday season the Marion County Sheriff’s Office will have additional deputies patrolling with a focus on impaired driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019. This accounts for nearly one-third of traffic crash fatalities. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 – nationwide one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019.
When making plans to celebrate this holiday season, please keep these tips in mind to help everyone have a fun and safe celebration:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, call your local law enforcement agency.
- Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
These additional holiday patrols are made possible by using grant dollars. For more information about the 2021 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
