The Bloomington Police Department is increasing impaired driving enforcement as part of a national initiative to decrease drunk-driving deaths around Labor Day.
According to a press release from the City of Bloomington Police Department, the Monroe County Traffic Safety Partnership, alongside the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, will increase patrols and conduct sobriety checkpoints. The national campaign is the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
In Indiana and the majority of the country, driving with a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08 percent or higher is considered drunk driving and is illegal. In Utah, the BAC limit is 0.05 percent.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person is killed about every 44 minutes in a drunk-driving crash. In 2024, 30 percent of all traffic fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver. In that same year, nearly 12,000 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths. The 2024 Labor Day weekend included 505 traffic-crash fatalities; 33 percent of them involved drunk drivers.
The Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program provides federal funding for this local traffic safety enforcement initiative.
For the duration of the campaign, which started Aug. 19 and runs through Sept. 7, the press release said officers across the state will work overtime to stop drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
“Our officers are seeing the consequences of impaired driving far too often,” said Bloomington police Sgt. Garrett Mitchell in the release. “As we enter the final weeks of summer, we’re asking every driver to make responsible decisions. A sober ride isn’t just the safest option—it’s the choice that saves lives.”
According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, in 2025, nearly 23 percent of traffic fatalities in the state involved alcohol; over 41 percent involved drug impairment.
If planning to drink, officials recommend not driving and choosing a non-drinking friend as the designated driver. If someone has been drinking, do not let that person drive and find a ride home for them. Officials also say wearing a seat belt is the best defense against impaired drivers.
