St. Patrick’s Day weekend means OVI checkpoints, extra patrols, free cab rides

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted two OVI checkpoints Friday night.

Their message: if you plan to go out for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, you need a designated driver.

In addition to these checkpoints, deputies also will work extra patrols over the weekend.

Driver Alan Albert said he didn’t mind having to sit in some traffic on the road tonight. He said he knows beyond the line of cars that deputies are making sure no one had too many to drink at Austin Pike and Success Lane in Miami Twp.

>> ArriveSafe program means free cab rides for Montgomery County residents through St. Patrick’s Day weekend

“I think it’s a good thing. You definitely want to keep the roads safe and not have anybody out here impaired,” Albert said.

Deputies said last year 42 drivers were arrested for impaired driving near both its Austin Pike and state Route 725 checkpoints.

For far this year, they’ve had six.

“Drunk driving is a really big problem in the country,” driver Robert Berenson said. “Anything to reduce that is a good idea.”

With the St. Patrick’s Day weekend underway, deputies hope not only the checkpoints catch intoxicated drivers, but that it stops impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel.

“Seeing that it’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend we’ll have saturation patrols out all over,” Sheriff Rob Streck said. “And once again, we’ll look at where data says there is lots of crashes, lots of OVIs and we’ll saturate those areas with extra patrols.”

While Albert said it may be easy to get swept up in St. Patrick’s Day revelry, he said it’s even easier to call for a ride.

“I think in this day and age, there’s really no reason not to have a designated driver or Uber or taxi,” he said. “It’s really easy to avoid drinking and driving.”

Butler County’s OVI Task Force also had a checkpoint Friday night, and they plan on having another one Saturday night. The location will be released Saturday morning.

In cooperation with AAA, Heidelberg Distributing/Budweiser and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, Montgomery County residents can get a free taxi ride now through 6 a.m. Monday through the ArriveSafe program by calling 937-449-9999. Rides cover fares up to $50.

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