Colonel Kenneth L. Morckel
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol

The holidays will not be as enjoyable this year for the more than 300 families in Ohio who will be without loved ones who were killed in crashes caused by impaired drivers this year.

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month and troopers are giving impaired drivers notice: You Drink & Drive. You Lose. This month, the Patrol will target impaired drivers in an effort to save lives by preventing alcohol-related crashes. Impaired drivers caused the untimely death of 375 people last year in Ohio.

Now is the time to address impaired driving as a serious crime that costs Ohioans millions of dollars each year in emergency care costs, lost property and, most importantly, precious lives. The tragedy is these deaths caused by alcohol-related crashes are very preventable – they are not accidents.

This holiday season, the Patrol has joined law enforcement agencies across the country to intensify the fight against impaired driving by joining the You Drink & Drive. You Lose. public education campaign. The Patrol hopes to save lives in Ohio and help reach the national goal of reducing alcohol-related deaths nationwide to no more than 11,000 by the year 2005.

Last year, impaired drivers were responsible for almost 16,000 fatalities nationwide, accounting for 305,000 reported injuries and an estimated 1.5 million arrests. The Patrol wants to get the word out that impaired driving is a dangerous and deadly crime.

In addition, the Patrol will participate in the Operation CARE National Holiday Lifesaver Weekend, from December 20 through 22, by increasing the number of troopers on Ohio’s roadways. Also in recognition of 3D Prevention Month, troopers throughout Ohio will continue to participate in the MADD Red Ribbon campaign to remind Ohioans to designate a driver.

More than a year has passed since West Jefferson Patrol Post Trooper Frank Vazquez was killed by an impaired driver. However, our commitment to honoring his memory by vigilantly removing impaired drivers from Ohio’s roads has not faltered.

Tpr. Vazquez was killed while he was outside of his cruiser issuing a traffic citation. A Patrol toxicology report revealed the driver that struck Tpr. Vazquez’s cruiser had a 0.318 percent blood alcohol level (BAC). Driving with a BAC of 0.10 percent is a crime in Ohio. The impaired driver was convicted on a second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Troopers know all too well that Tpr. Vazquez’s story is not unique. Hundreds of lives are lost each year on our highways as the result of alcohol-related crashes, and thousands of loved ones are left to grieve.

Designate a sober driver, hire a taxi, call a safe ride program, or make arrangements to spend the night where you are drinking. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your friends or loved ones drink and drive, either. Because if You Drink & Drive. You Lose.

It's about safety!