Press Release December 6, 2012
Clearcreek Township Police Plan Holiday Crackdown
to Stop Impaired Driving and Save Lives
[Clearcreek Township, OH] – Holiday party-goers, beware! To help save lives this holiday season, Clearcreek Township is launching a special “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown to stop impaired drivers and to save lives on our roadways.
Clearcreek Township said its officers will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired. The special enforcement crackdown will run from December 7, 2012, through January 2, 2013 and involves officers working overtime paid through the High Visibility Enforcement Overtime Grant provided by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
“Lots of folks will be out during this busy holiday season, enjoying themselves and the holiday festivities, and we want everyone to be safe on our roadways.” said Chief John Terrill. “That’s why we will be stepping up enforcement to catch and arrest impaired drivers. Please be forewarned. If you are caught drinking and driving impaired, you will be arrested.”
During 2010, more than 10,000 people were killed nationwide in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving an impaired driver.
The holiday season is a particularly dangerous time. During December 2010, 30 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers. Data also shows that among those alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities, 71 percent occurred when drivers had nearly twice the legal limit blood alcohol concentration of .15 grams per deciliter or higher.
“No one ever thinks that their holiday celebration will end in jail, or worse, in a hospital or the morgue,” said Terrill. “But for those who include alcohol in their celebrations and then get behind the wheel, this is often the case.”
It is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher. According to Clearcreek Township Police, violators face jail time, loss of driver license, and steep financial consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job.
Chief Terrill said there are three simple steps people can take to stay safe and out of trouble:
“We want everyone to enjoy their holidays, but we also want our roadways to be safe,” said Terrill. “We will be out in force to help save lives. So remember, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’ We will be watching.”
For more information, visit the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign Headquarters at www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.
Or, for more information about Clearcreek Township Police and the High Visibility Enforcement Overtime grant, contact Sgt. Wally Stacy at (937) 748-1267