Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over begins Aug. 18

(Bismarck, ND) -- Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are preparing to begin a monthly heightened enforcement campaign with the focus of taking North Dakota Vision Zero's Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over strategy to eliminate hazards on the roads.

 Law enforcement agencies across the state will have extra patrols for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement period starting August 18th and ending September 4th. North Dakota has 52 drug recognition expert law enforcement officers across the state that are specially trained in recognizing if a person is under the impairment of drugs. Drug-related impairment can be different than alcohol impairment and includes restlessness and exaggerated reflexes. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a part of the Summer H.E.A.T. (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) strategy and Vision Zero initiative to eliminate motor vehicle crash fatalities and serious injuries on North Dakota roads. Summer H.E.A.T. will take place through August to encourage everyone to wear a seat belt.

Kristi Pettit Venhuizen, the state's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor says that “The biggest impediment we have is that juries are under the presumption that if a doctor gave them the drug it’s okay for them to be using it and then driving,” explains Pettit Venhuizen. “We are working hard to change the perception that prescriptions can also be an impairing substance. If there is a warning not to operate heavy machinery, that includes your vehicle.”