Drive Safe and Sober this Fourth of July

Sheriff David Wedding stated, “Friends and family will soon be getting together to celebrate Independence Day. With all the excitement and fun, keeping an eye on an intoxicated friend may not seem like a priority. We ask that you don’t wait for someone else to take action if a person is about to drive away drunk. By refusing to ignore the problem you can save a life.” Sheriff Wedding added, “Make transportation plans now if you know you will be drinking this Fourth of July weekend. Don’t put your friends in the position of having to take your keys.”

During the 2015 Independence Day holiday from July 3 through July 7 there were over 960 traffic collisions in Indiana. Of those, at least 64 were alcohol-related. In total, 43 Hoosier motorists were injured and two (2) lost their lives as a direct result of an impaired driver.

Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin stated, “The Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office work hard all year long to inform the public about the dangers of impaired driving. Many heed the message, while a few choose to ignore it.” Chief Bolin explained, “For those drivers who refuse to listen, a DUI arrest or a fatal crash are the only two alternatives.”

A sobriety checkpoint is planned for this Saturday night. The Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Police Department and Indiana State Police will conduct a joint sobriety checkpoint on July 02, 2016 from 11:30 pm until 3:00 am. Throughout the extended holiday weekend sheriff’s deputies, police officers and state troopers will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired.  If you have any doubt about your sobriety, please do not get behind the wheel. If you do choose to drive impaired, expect to be arrested. No warnings. No excuses.

Funding for local impaired driving enforcement is provided by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA).