Jeffeson Co. Sheriff's Department Reminding Citizens to Drive Sober

Before you start the celebrations make sure you have a safe way home.   

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(Jefferson County, Ind.) - St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner and for many, this means consuming large amounts of green beer.

The month of March also allows for fans to gather and watch their favorite college basketball teams battle it out in hopes that they don’t break brackets, but what it also means is that there will be many people who get in their vehicle and drive while under the influence.

As an important reminder coming from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, they are giving a PSA to drive sober or get pulled over.

All throughout March, officers will be conducting overtime patrols and sobriety checkpoints to prevent dangerous and impaired driving. This is part of a statewide enforcement campaign, that is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Sheriff David Thomas stated as we are a basketball state, we want everybody watching the tournament to have a good time, but not at the expense of others.

According to a report from ICJI, I March of 2019, there were 433 alcohol-related crashes across Indiana, resulting in 205 injuries and five fatalities. Of those, 65 crashes (15 percent) and one fatality occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend alone.

So before you start the celebrations make sure you have a safe way home.