Drive sober or get pulled over. That’s the warning the Seymour Police Department is issuing to drivers as they gear up for the annual end-of-summer impaired driving enforcement campaign.

Starting Friday and continuing through Sept. 2, officers with the Seymour Traffic Safety Partnership, which includes the Seymour Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Crothersville Police Department, will join with officers across the state to increase patrols and sobriety checkpoints to crack down on those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The extra high-visibility enforcement is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

“Driving drunk or drug-impaired is a problem for everyone,” said James Bryan, the institute’s traffic safety director. “Making the choice to operate a vehicle while impaired is never the right option.”

Alcohol-impaired driving continues to contribute to many deaths in Indiana. In 2023, around 20% of all traffic fatalities in Indiana involved alcohol impairment. Drug-impaired driving is another major contributor to deadly crashes. In 2023, nearly a quarter of all traffic fatalities involved drug impairment.

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” Seymour Lt. Michael Cooper said. “Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior.”

Drivers should be safe during this Labor Day holiday by planning ahead if they intend to drink. Even if you only have one drink, designate a sober driver or use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely. Never drive impaired or let friends get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking.

For information on impaired driving, visit nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.