Police remind public of dangers of drunk driving ahead of New Year's Eve

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – With many planning to celebrate the new year Saturday night, it’s important to remember the dangers of driving impaired.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s office said it always sees an increase in DUI-related incidents, both crashes and arrests, on New Year’s Eve.

If you are trying to figure out if you are sober enough to drive, the sheriff’s office said a simple reminder: buzzed driving is drunk driving.

If you can feel any sort of effect from the alcohol, do not get behind the wheel.

It’s simply not worth the risk.

“Your Uber may cost you 25 or 30 dollars to get you home. If you get arrested for a DUI, you’re looking at potentially thousands of dollars in fines, thousands of dollars in attorney fees, a thousand or more dollars to get your vehicle out of the impound,” Jackson County Deputy Sheriff Derreck Moore said.

Moore said JCSO will have extra patrols out this weekend to try and get as many impaired drivers off the road as possible.

OSP is also partnering with law enforcement from several western states in the ‘eyes on the interstates’ initiative.