The Ohio State Highway Patrol will target impaired drivers for the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The traffic initiative started at midnight Thursday, July 2nd, and will run to midnight Sunday, July 5th. The initiative is part of the patrol’s zero-tolerance policy and part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

From July 3rd to July 7th last year, 16 fatal crashes killed 17 people in Ohio. Seven of those crashes ended with seven lives lost due to drivers being impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Also during that period last year, troopers reported a total of 712 OVI arrests.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reminds everyone that “one bad decision can be deadly”. “If you plan to drink, help make everyone’s holiday safe by designating a sober ride home.”