National campaign “Drive sober or get pulled over” launched

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) – As summer ends and Labor Day is celebrated, Kentucky is joining the national effort to prevent drunk driving.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign begins Friday and runs through September 2nd.

Last year, there were more than 4,000 traffic accidents in Kentucky involving an impaired driver.

According to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, there were 77 crashes involving an impaired driver during Labor Day weekend last year, resulting in 29 injuries and six deaths.

“If you have any doubts about whether you are safe enough or sober enough to drive, don't do it,” said Captain Nicholas Lodal of the Georgetown Police Department.

As people prepare to end the summer and celebrate over Labor Day weekend, state and local officials hope people will do so responsibly.

“Come up with a plan that doesn’t require you to make a decision that could impact the rest of your life,” Lodal said.

Lodal says he has seen time and again that people have no plan to get home safely at the end of the night.

“It's absolutely heartbreaking. I've worked on several cases involving a drunk driver where an innocent bystander, an innocent motorist who had no idea what was coming, was killed,” Lodal said.

“Drive sober or you'll get pulled over” is a message that can't be repeated enough, according to Lodal. He said the new traffic unit is busy dealing with such calls.

“By putting full-time staff on this task, they are actually finding impaired drivers on the first, second and third shifts, all day long,” Lodal said.

Lodal says that driving under the influence of alcohol, for example, leads to a slowing of reaction time and judgment.

“The likelihood of being involved in an accident and being seriously injured or killed, or seriously injuring or killing someone else, has increased significantly,” Lodal said.

He encourages people to plan ahead.

If you're planning to celebrate an occasion, designate a driver who doesn't drink or use a ride-share service. If you're out and about and think you see a drunk driver, don't ignore it, according to Lodal.

“You can call 911 and you'll be directed to the appropriate emergency dispatch center. I would advise any caller to stay on the phone,” Lodal said. “Keep some distance, but be able to give enough information so we can send someone out there and get them off the streets.”

Georgetown Police will be conducting a traffic safety checkpoint on August 31st, just before Labor Day weekend. It will be located on US 25 as you enter Georgetown.

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