Since last Friday, state troopers and thousands of law enforcement officers in communities throughout Ohio have joined forces for a combined impaired driving enforcement wave which is part of the national Over the Limit. Under Arrest. program that runs through Labor Day.

In the first 10 days of this effort alone, state troopers have recorded 882 OVI arrests on Ohio roads.

“Time after time in public opinion surveys, motorists rank being hit by a drunk driver as one of their top fears about driving,” Colonel Richard Collins, Patrol superintendent, said. “One important way state troopers and our law enforcement colleagues around Ohio are working to make Ohio roads safe to travel is by aggressively searching for, and removing, impaired drivers from the roadways before they can cause a tragedy to someone in your family, or someone you know.”

Last year’s Labor Day holiday yielded the highest number of traffic fatalities in Ohio of any of the major, traditional holiday travel periods for the year. Not only did 24 people perish in Ohio traffic crashes last Labor Day weekend, but 10 of those deaths were alcohol-related.

Collins points to last year’s grim totals as to why officers are taking this Labor Day holiday so seriously.

“State troopers universally take the crime of drunk driving seriously. And that is what drunk driving is – a crime,” Collins said. “Drunk driving is a crime that puts innocent people in danger, and all too frequently results in tragic consequences. That’s what makes this issue so critically important – we are out there to protect the innocent from the criminals.”

Troopers encourage the public to continue using 1-877-7-PATROL to report dangerous drivers or stranded motorists, or 1-800-GRAB DUI to report impaired drivers.