August 19, 2021 3:30 a.m.

Through the Labor Day holiday, deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign.

Sergeant Brad O’Dell said deputies will work with other law enforcement officers during the holiday weekend to take drunk drivers off the roads.

O’Dell said according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year between 2015 and 2019. One person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019.

O’Dell said DCSO wants community members to understand that its their first priority to keep people safe. He said everyone should plan ahead if they know they will be out drinking.

O’Dell said during the 2019 Labor Day holiday period, there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. For more information on impaired driving, go to: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving