All too often, people in Cincinnati are injured because of a careless driver's actions. However, when a drunk driver causes an accident, that driver's actions are significantly worse than simple carelessness because that driver knowingly put other people at risk by getting behind the wheel. When a drunk driver causes an accident, the injuries that driver inflicts are often more severe than in other types of accidents. This is because intoxicated drivers often drive recklessly or at an excessive rate of speed.

With the Labor Day holiday weekend coming up, the citizens of Ohio can expect an unfortunate spike in the amount of drunk driving accidents. However, Ohio law enforcement authorities are doing their best to prevent DUI accidents this weekend.

As part of a national campaign called "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," state and local authorities are planning to crack down on drunken drivers. They plan to add an additional 6,100 hours of law enforcement as well more than 2,000 hours of DUI saturation patrols across Ohio through the Labor Day weekend.

According to government statistics for 2010, 40 percent of fatal traffic accidents in Ohio involved a driver who had been drinking. In 394 fatal crashes that were related to alcohol, 432 people died on Ohio roads.

As part of the enforcement campaign, officers will be targeting areas that have had a high amount of DUI activity in the past. Hopefully, the campaign will have the two-fold effect of deterring people from drinking and driving as well as removing dangerous drivers from our roads.

Source: WTRF.com, "In Ohio, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," Aug. 23, 2011