FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The Allen County Sheriff’s Department will increase patrols and conduct sobriety checkpoints as part of a statewide effort to stop impaired drivers ahead of Labor Day.
The department is partnering with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute on the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Overtime patrols will run from Aug. 19 through Sept. 7. Officers will be looking for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Preliminary data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows nearly 23% of Indiana traffic fatalities in 2025 involved alcohol. More than 41% involved drug impairment.
Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger said deputies are seeing the consequences of impaired driving and urged drivers to plan for a sober ride.
Indiana law prohibits driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher. However, drivers can be arrested at any blood alcohol concentration if an officer believes they are impaired.
Drivers are encouraged to plan a sober ride before drinking and prevent others from getting behind the wheel while impaired. People who see a suspected impaired driver should call 911.
The enforcement campaign is funded through federal traffic safety dollars provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
