Law Enforcement Agencies Kick Off 'Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over' Campaign

Law enforcement agencies across the state will be stepping up patrols to catch impaired drivers over the next couple of weeks. The number of people driving under the influence is expected to increase from previous years.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office is among the agencies participating in the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. 30 deputies will be stepping up patrols to try and get impaired drivers off the road from now until the end of the year.

Cpl. Marshall Eldridge says the holiday season is a time when the number of DUI-related incidents increases. He says the numbers are already bigger than they were this time last year.

"Right now we're at a 15% increase over last year's timeframe as of the 10th of December so we're on record right now to have the highest fatalities across the state of Oklahoma we've had in over 10 years," said Cpl. Eldridge.

Eldridge says COVID-19 and the related bar restrictions kept the numbers lower in recent years but many places will be open as normal this holiday season. He says this means more people will make the decision to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Officials say the easiest thing to do is find a ride or use a rideshare app.