A reminder to motorists, there is extra enforcement on area roadways cracking down on drink driving.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau’s special Traffic Enforcement Wave runs through next Sunday.  Perry Police Chief Dan Brickner explains the purpose of the increased enforcement.

“Basically that involves a concerted effort statewide by a number of agencies enforcing traffic laws, and first and foremost we’re looking for drunk or impaired drivers to take them off the road for the safety of everyone involved” says Brickner.  “But other traffic laws specifically related to safety, which would be speed, use of seatbelts, use of child restraints, all of those things are stressed as well.  We just ask for voluntary compliance with all of those laws.”

Law enforcement agencies from across the state utilize grant funds through the GTSB to have extra officers on patrol during times where drunk driving tends to peak, such as the Labor Day.

Chief Brickner says it is important for all drivers to be extra aware during holiday weekends.  He says they always ask that everyone has a designated driver but especially during busy weekends like this, it’s important for all drivers to remain vigilant in being observant.  He encourages anyone who sees what they believe could be an impaired driver to call 911 so they can try and get them off the road.

It’s estimated that one person dies every 53 minutes in a drunken driving accident in the U.S. and research shows high visibility enforcement like the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign reduces the number of fatalities by as much as 20 percent.