St. Clair County Sheriff Scott Keeler announced from mid-August through Labor Day, deputies will be out in force as part of the annual nationwide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown on drunk driving. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement throughout St. Clair County, will run from Aug. 15-Sept 1. Sheriff Keeler said deputies will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers during the crackdown and will arrest those caught driving drunk.
Although it is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive drunk (having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), many people across the nation get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. The latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration underscore the serious nature of the nation’s continuing drunk driving epidemic
“Every year, about one third of all motor vehicle traffic deaths involve one or more impaired drivers or motorcycle operators,” said the sheriff. “In 2013, 223 people died in Missouri crashes involving impaired drivers. That works out to approximately one impaired driving fatality every day and-a-half. Holidays such as the Labor Day holiday are particularly dangerous."
Throughout the state, the effective nationwide drunk driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement, high-profile events, and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive campaign to curb drunk driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend.
