Authorities prepare for annual ‘Drive Sober’ holiday season campaign

Law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin taking part in campaign to crack down on drunk driving

BANGOR, Wis. (WKBT) — Area law enforcement officials are reminding drivers to think ahead before heading off to any holiday parties in the coming weeks.

Representatives from multiple agencies across the area gathered at the I-90 rest stop in Bangor today to address the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

From December 15th to January 1st, officers will be paying extra attention to drunk drivers.

They say the campaign isn’t about writing more tickets but keeping everyone safe instead.

“It’s a regrettable thing,” said Sgt. Jeffrey Leis of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. “We don’t like to have to write those citations for OWI or take people to jail for this, and that’s not what we want to do. We want to promote safety and everything, so make those extra plans to make sure you’ve got somebody to give you a ride home.”

Law enforcement officials say if you don’t have someone to drive you home, you can use things like taxi services or the Safe Ride program in La Crosse to get home safely.