Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office Continues Stepping up Enforcement of Impaired Drivers

As the summer driving season comes to a close, the Lafayette, Wisconsin Sheriff's is reminding area drivers that they are stepping up enforcement efforts to eliminate impaired driving leading up to the busy Laboy Day Weekend.

Troy Loeffelholz of the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office says the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign continues thru September 5th (Labor Day).  This campaign isn't just about stopping, citing, or arresting drivers.  It's about saving lives and preventing tragedies.

Loeffelholz urges everyone to protect themselves and their passengers by getting a safe ride home every time. Speak up and discourage people from taking a risk.  If you see a driver you suspect is under the influence call 911.

Do you realize someone is killed or injured in an impaired driver crash in Wisconsin every two hours?  Experts say 166 deaths could have been prevented last year if a drunk driver had not gotten behind the wheel.  And another 74 people in Wisconsin were killed in drug-related crashes in 2021.  Remember these numbers are for Wisconsin only.  The numbers in Iowa are even higher with 826 alcohol-related deaths in 2021.  Illinois alcohol-related deaths are the highest in the tri-states at 1324 deaths in 2021.  That Illinois number is more than 200 deaths higher than in 2020.

Nationwide, the number isn't any better.  According to the CDC, every day, 30 people in the United States die in car crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver.  That is one death every 50 minutes and more than 46,000 deaths.  In addition to the loss of life, Mothers Against Drink Driving says drunk driving cost the United States $132 Billion in 2011.