Miami Twp. police conducting St. Patrick’s Day blitz

MIAMI TOWNSHIP — Miami Township Police Department is teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to help keep drivers safe on the road this St. Patrick’s Day.

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The police department said they will be conducting a “St. Patrick’s Day blitz” from March 11th through the 18th and extra law enforcement officers will be on patrol showing “zero tolerance for impaired drivers.”

“Anytime you take an impaired driver off the road, you are preventing a potentially deadly incident,” Det. Sgt. Jay Phares, Miami Township Police Department, said. “Driving while impaired is deadly and illegal and we have zero tolerance for anyone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

The NHTSA and Miami Township Police Department offers the following advice to stay safe:

• Plan for a safe ride home before you start the party.
• Choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.
• If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.
• If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride service or a sober friend.
• If you are hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
• Always wear your seat belt. It is the best protection against impaired drivers.

Last year, officers made four OVI arrests in the township during the St. Patrick’s Day Blitz. According to the NHTSA, there were 10,142 fatal alcohol-related crashes nationwide in 2019, averaging one DUI fatality every 52 minutes.

Cox Media Group