LUCAS COUNTY, OH (Toledo News Now) - Lucas County is one of the highest ranked counties in the state for drunk driving and drunk driving related accidents.
41 percent of all deadly accidents last year in the area involved alcohol.
That is why from now through the Labor Day weekend, the Lucas County DUI Task Force will be cracking down on drunk drivers.
"The goal of this 18 day campaign is to deter drunk drivers through education, sobriety checkpoints and increased enforcement," said Gwen Nuendorfer with the Lucas County Traffic Safety Program.
Members from every law enforcement agency in the Lucas County DUI Task Force were present for the kick off of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.
County wide for the next 17 days, officers will be on the look out for drunk drivers.
"We're going to have extra enforcement out, we're going to do every, obviously any violations, speed, seat belts and especially OVI to keep the roads safe," said Detective Mark Woodruff, head of the Lucas County DUI Task Force.
Officials say in Lucas County, drunk driving is a real problem.
In 2011 there were 29 fatal accidents, 9 of which were a direct result of drunk driving, killing 12 people.
In the first 6 months of 2012 there have been 18 fatal accidents, 6 of those came from drunk drivers resulting in 4 deaths.
"Remember, it isn't always the impaired driver who dies in a crash. Often, it's the innocent person who's doing nothing but driving on our roads and highways, that suffers the consequences of someone's poor choice," said Nuendorfer.
But law enforcement cannot be everywhere at all times, which is why they are asking everyone to do their part to keep Lucas County roads safe during this coming Labor Day weekend and beyond.
"It takes all of us, it takes the public awareness and people making the right choice," said Nuendorfer.
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