LUCASVILLE, Ohio — The Portsmouth City Health Department will set up a booth alongside law enforcement agencies at the Scioto County Fair on Friday to promote sober driving, using a hands-on impairment simulation and giveaways to reach fairgoers.
The event runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 7 near the fair’s law enforcement booths, under the banner of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, according to a graphic the health department posted on Facebook.
Fairgoers who stop by will be able to try on “Fatal Vision” goggles, which distort a wearer’s vision to simulate the effects of alcohol impairment, and attempt a short obstacle course while wearing them, the health department said. Organizers also planned guest speakers, safe-driving giveaways and information on community resources, with several community partners, including area law enforcement agencies, taking part.
Halea Hatten is listed as the event’s contact on the health department’s flyer.
The Scioto County Fair runs Aug. 3-8 in Lucasville.
“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a long-running national campaign that pairs paid advertising with stepped-up law enforcement patrols, historically timed to holiday travel periods such as Labor Day weekend. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,524 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes nationwide in 2022 — about 32% of all traffic deaths — with a person dying in an alcohol-related crash on average every 39 minutes.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Portsmouth City Health Department.
