The Ottawa Police Department will join other police agencies across Kansas in a crackdown aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roadways during ‘You Drink, You Drive, You Lose’, now through Labor day, September 1st. In Kansas, in 2024 83 people died and more than 1,100 people were injured in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. It is illegal to drive while impaired, and just one drink before driving can put you and others in danger, because alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination.
You can make the responsible choice: plan to use a rideshare service, have a designated driver, or call a sober friend or family member to pick you up if you or your driver have been drinking. According to Ottawa Police Lieutenant, Brian Luft, the ‘You drink. You drive. You lose’ enforcement campaign is intended to remind drivers to take a moment to consider how it would be to begin every day with the memory of your decision if it resulted in injury or death. If you are driving impaired, you are not only more likely to crash, but that crash is much more likely to cause serious injury or death. Think about your family, your friends, your coworkers, and neighbors. You drink. You drive…..you lose.