Columbia County Participating In ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ Campaign

(Columbia County) The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office will be stepping up enforcement of alcohol and drug impaired driving later this month. The department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. From August 21st through September 7th, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Sheriff Roger Brandner says heightened state and national messages about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with increased law enforcement presence, aim to drastically reduce such infractions from the roadways. According to NHTSA, over 10-thousand people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2018 – which equates to one death every 50 minutes. An equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors. Brandner says if you are going to drink, designate a sober driver before festivities begin. He says keep friends and family who have been drinking from getting behind the wheel.