08/28/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 14, 2026
CONTACT: Lieutenant Michael Van Offeren
Let’s Work Together to End Drunk Driving!
Marathon County, WI — From August 14 through September 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be working alongside the Marathon County Traffic Safety Task Force to deter drunk driving and prevent tragedies during the Labor Day holiday weekend. The message is clear: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. The Task Force comprises Officers from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Wausau Police Department, Mountain Bay Metropolitan Police Department, Marshfield Police Department, Marathon City Police Department, and Stratford Police Department.
During the 2024 Labor Day holiday (6 p.m. August 30 - 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 505 traffic crash fatalities nationwide. Of these 505 fatalities, 34% (170) involved a drunk driver. Seventy-seven percent of the impaired drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher. Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday in 2024, 40% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.
In Marathon County, 70 people are killed or injured in a crash involving a driver believed to be impaired by drugs or alcohol, in an average year. In the past three years, 11 people were killed in an impaired driving related crash. On average more people are killed in impaired driving crashed in Marathon County than statewide. – Wisconsin DOT Marathon County Traffic Safety Summary 2023-2025.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Lt. Van Offeren. “The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it kills. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this dangerous behavior.”
If a driver intends to drink during a Labor Day festivity, he or she should plan ahead for a safe ride home by securing a designated driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person’s judgment and endangers others on the road.
If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact the Marathon County Dispatch Center at 715-261-1200 Option 1.
For more information on impaired driving, visit NHTSA.gov/DrunkDriving.
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