Increased drunk-driving patrols set for March

Local authorities will be out on the road, looking for drunk drivers in March during drinking-friendly events like the NCAA tournament and St. Patrick’s Day.

The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, and other local agencies, announced today that they would be taking part in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over blitz in March, including overtime pay for deputies to perform patrols and checkpoints to prevent dangerous and impaired driving.

The statewide enforcement campaign is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

According to figures from the institute, last March there were 433 alcohol-related crashes across Indiana, resulting in 205 injuries and five fatalities. Of those, 65 crashes and one fatality occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend.