BUCYRUS — The end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday, a time to reflect on the hard work of our fellow Americans. The long weekend is typically celebrated through picnics, pool parties and barbecues, as families and friends enjoy the last few days of summer before fall and winter approach.

Sadly, the Labor Day holiday is also one of the deadliest, with drunk drivers endangering themselves and others.

This year, The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to stop drunk drivers and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” runs Aug. 16 through Sept. 4. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, hope to reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roads.

We’re stressing the dangers of driving impaired to our community,” said Crawford County Sheriff Scott Kent. “Drunk driving is a massive problem in the United States, with more than 10,000 people dying annually. If you’re out on the roads and you see someone driving drunk, please call us. You could help save a life,” he] said.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and NHTSA remind residents of the many resources available to get them home safely.

“Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior,” Kent said. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why, during the Labor Day holiday, we will make zero exceptions for drunk driving. There are no excuses.”

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving.

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for IOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• Use your community’s sober ride program If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Crawford County Sheriff’s Office
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.

Statistics show a frightening trend in drunk-driving. According to NHTSA, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2015, an increase from the 9,967 people killed in 2014. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2011-15, one person killed every 51 minutes in 2015. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors. This is why The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office] is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Over the Labor Day holiday period in 2015, there were 460 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty percent of those fatal crashes involved drivers who had been drinking. Of those alcohol-related fatal crashes, one third involved drivers who were drunk and nearly one-fourth involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the illegal limit.

Nighttime is the most dangerous time to on the road: During the 2015 Labor Day holiday period, 78 percent of drunk-driving crash fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. — as compared to half of all drunk-driving crash fatalities throughout the rest of the year.