Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

December 20, 2021
Elise Schaffer, PIO, (608) 284-6142
Sheriff's Office

The holidays are a time of celebration and fun-filled gatherings. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind motorists to be responsible and drive sober.

Rather than risk a drunken driving arrest or crash, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office urges you to follow these common sense suggestions:

• 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.

• Take a bus, a taxi, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.

• Many taverns and restaurants have programs to provide patrons a safe ride home. 

  Visit https://www.tlw.org/saferide for additional information.

• Help in our efforts by reporting suspected impaired drivers to law enforcement by calling 911.

  “As you celebrate this holiday season, please remember that drinking and driving is not worth the risk,” said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. ”Plan ahead to ensure that you have a safe ride home and help us keep our roads safer for everyone.”

  As of December 17, forty-five people have lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in Dane County this year. Fourteen of those fatality crashes were alcohol related. That’s 14 lives lost because someone decided to get behind the wheel when they were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Safety, will provide additional traffic enforcement focused on intoxicated drivers on New Year’s Eve. There will also be grant deployments for additional traffic enforcement on December 21, 23 and 27.