Sheriff’s department targeting drunken driving

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is in the final week of a two-week campaign targeting drunken driving.

Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said the agency is participating in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration program “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” The sheriff’s department started enhanced patrols Aug. 16 and will continue through Labor Day Weekend.

Specially assigned deputies will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of drugs and alcohol throughout the enforcement period. In 2021, nearly 47 percent of fatalities on Michigan roadways involved alcohol and/or drugs, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

The campaign is supported with federal traffic safety funds provided by the United States Department of Transportation.