8-20-2025 10:47pm

Sober Drivers Get To Experience How A Small Amount Of Alcohol Effects Driving

Beth Callahan Editor

Ann Brock, outreach coordinator for Warren County Safe Communities and trauma outreach coordinator at Atrium Medical Center’s Level III Trauma Center

LEBANON, OH -- In advance of Labor Day weekend, the Warren County Safe Communities Coalition teamed up with local partners and the Arrive Alive Tour to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

Attendees of the 3rd Friday on Mulberry Concert held last Friday in downtown Lebanon were given the opportunity to experience a virtual reality drunk driving simulator. The simulator lets users select varying levels of intoxication, demonstrating how even small amounts of alcohol can significantly impair a driver’s ability behind the wheel.

"It's actually very tough," agreed some young adults from Morrow, Ohio who tried driving the simulator under varies levels of intoxication.

“There’s no excuse for impaired driving,” said Ann Brock, outreach coordinator for Warren County Safe Communities and trauma outreach coordinator at Atrium Medical Center’s Level III Trauma Center explaining the importance of making a plan to get home safely before you start drinking.

In 2024, Warren County recorded 184 OVI-related crashes, including seven of the county’s 10 total fatal crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. So far in 2025, two of the county’s seven fatal crashes involved alcohol or drug impairment.

The Arrive Alive Tour event is part of the county’s involvement in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which runs through Sept. 1. The effort is a collaboration among Warren County Safe Communities, Atrium Medical Center’s Level III Trauma Center, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, local law enforcement, and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

Also participating in the campaign are Devvastated, Talbert House Prevention Services, the Warren County Health District, and Tonic True Nature. These partners hosted a mocktail contest on Aug. 11, with the winning recipe being featured at the Tonic True Nature Sober Bar last Friday.

Talbert House Prevention Services was also on site sharing information about its “Be One of Us” initiative.

“Our top priority is keeping people safe on Ohio’s roads,” said Lt. Chad Smith of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

“Each year, more than 1,200 lives are lost in crashes across the state, over half involving impaired drivers. This is 100 percent preventable. With options like designated drivers, ride shares, and taxis, there is no excuse to drive impaired. Our troopers remove more than 16,000 impaired drivers from the roads each year, but we can’t do it alone. We’re asking the public to plan ahead, never drive impaired, and always buckle up. Let’s work together to stop this senseless behavior and make sure everyone gets home safely.” Ann Brock