‘Drive Sober’ campaign aims to prevent OVI fatalities

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — Drivers can expect an increased police presence when the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign starts Friday, Aug. 16.

The campaign aims to get people to think twice before they get behind the wheel impaired — and that includes more than alcohol. Officials want people to know that driving while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or prescription drugs can land you in jail.

“We’re long beyond the approaching the car, rolling the window down and smelling alcohol,” said Capt. Andy Flagg with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Starting Friday, 15 state and local agencies will be conducting OVI checkpoints across the Miami Valley. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign will run from Aug. 16 through Sept. 2 — Labor Day weekend.

With Ohio now allowing recreational adult-use marijuana, deputies say there will be zero tolerance for drivers under the influence of the substance.

“The legalization of marijuana has not done anything to authorize or allow an individual to get into a vehicle under impaired conditions,” said Flagg.

So far in 2024, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 27 fatalities from OVI-related crashes. This is already 50% more than 2023 at this point, with five months still left in the year.

Officials say drivers should be aware of the harsh consequences of choosing to drive impaired.

“We don’t want to have to go knock on that door and tell somebody that their family member is not coming home because of an impaired driver,” said Flagg.

The goal of the task force is to lower the number of annual fatalities related to OVI crashes to zero.

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