Crime & Safety

Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over

The DOT says the goal is not to arrest more drunken drivers. The goal is to deter drunken driving, to achieve zero preventable traffic deaths.

Bayside police are joining forces with other departments across Wisconsin for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over initiative, running Aug. 16 through Sept. 2 according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 

More from the press release:

The DOT says saturation patrols and other types of high visibility enforcement have proved to be an effective deterrent to impaired driving, especially when combined with an effective media campaign like Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

The goal is not to arrest more drunken drivers. The goal is to deter drunken driving, to achieve zero preventable traffic deaths.

Impaired driving is prevalent and deadly:

  • There were approximately 35,000 convictions for drunken driving last year in Wisconsin.
  • Last year, alcohol-related crashes killed 225 people in Wisconsin and injured nearly 3,000. 
Recently enacted state law increases penalties for drunken driving.
  • A state law took effect in July 2010 that significantly strengthens deterrents and increases penalties for drunken driving.
  • The recent law substantially increases jail time for various OWI convictions. 
The law also requires that vehicles be equipped with an ignition interlock device for drivers who:
  • Are convicted of first-offense OWI if their BAC was .15 or higher.
  • Are convicted of a second or subsequent OWI offense.
  • Refused a chemical test to measure their alcohol level at the time of arrest.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Bayside police remind residents to:
  • Choose a sober designated driver before you start drinking.
  • If you’re feeling buzzed, you likely are over the 0.08 BAC limit and should not drive.
  • Rather than risk an arrest, take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
  • Save a life—don’t let your friends drive drunk.
  • Some taverns and restaurants have programs to provide patrons with a safe ride home. 
  • Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. 


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