On average, more than 10,000 people die due to drunk driving incidents. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign is a nationwide effort of law enforcement to stop the deadly epidemic. Lt. M.J. Lemley said Bridgeport Police Department is on board. 

 

The local campaign runs Aug. 19 to Sept. 7, during which time the Bridgeport Police Department will have officers working an additional 54 hours to detect, stop and arrest impaired drivers.   

 

"Our guys will be working what we call saturation patrols where they patrol areas known for drunk drivers," Lemley said. 

 

Bridgeport Police and area departments see a number of impaired driving crashes and pull over a much greater number of drivers who are under the influence, Lemley said.

 

On Aug. 28, the Bridgeport PD will conduct a sobriety checkpoint from 8 p.m. to midnight. That checkpoint will be located either on Johnson Avenue near the I-79 intersection or on Main Street in front of the Dairy Queen.  The sobriety checkpoint is not only intended to deter impaired driving, but also to educate the public of the dangers of impaired driving, Lemley said. 

 

"We'll be handing out materials, of course, and just informing people of the hazards associated with driving under the influence," he said. 

 

The other educational part of the campaign is the conversation that takes place between police departments and the media, thereafter getting the message out to the public, Lemley said. 

 

The local campaign is being conducted in partnership with the Governor's Highway Safety Program. Leading the nationwide effort to stop drunk driving is The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  

 

Athough Bridgeport PD is fairly new to this particular campaign, the department has always worked closely with the Governor's Highway Safety Program, with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies to combat impaired driving, he said.