The Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership Announces Start of 2015 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2015

For more information, please contact:

Dana Cole, Sargeant Bloomington Police Department, 812.349.3375, coled@bloomington.in.gov

The Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership Announces Start of 2015 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign

Bloomington, IN. - The Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership announced today its participation in the national and statewide 2015 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization occurring August 19 through September 7, 2015. Officers will join more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies, and thousands more across the country, to conduct high-visibility patrols encouraging drivers against drinking and driving. The Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership is comprised of officers from the Monroe County Sheriff Department, Bloomington Police Department, and the Ellettsville Police Department.

"This campaign provides us another opportunity to educate and enforce messages that save the lives of Indiana drivers and passengers," said Sgt. Dana Cole. "Driving intoxicated is not only illegal, it's unsafe and unwise. We will be out in full patrol and if you do drink and drive, you will be caught."

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is an annual enforcement effort supported by federal funding allocated to the Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership from the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). According to ICJI, in 2014, there were 94 fatal alcohol-impaired collisions in Indiana. While this accounted for 13 percent of all fatal crashes, there was a 17 percent decrease in fatal alcohol collisions between 2013 and 2014.

"The decrease in the number of fatal alcohol collisions in Indiana is a clear indication citizens are realizing drinking and driving don't mix," said ICJI Director Dave Murtaugh. "Through the hard work and dedication of all of Indiana's law enforcement agencies, we continue to work toward our goal of zero intoxicated drivers on our roadways."

Indiana law enforcement agencies have been actively involved in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign for over 20 years.

For more information regarding the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization campaign, please visit: http://www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober/.

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