photo by: Journal-World File Photo

A Lawrence police car sits outside a crime scene in this file photo from 2009.

A statewide campaign to reduce drunken and drugged driving will launch Thursday and run through Labor Day, Sept. 2.

The Lawrence Police Department and almost 190 other law enforcement agencies across Kansas will participate in the “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.” campaign, according to an LPD news release.

During the campaign, extra officers will be on patrol, looking for drivers who exhibit signs of impaired driving and for other traffic violations, the release said.

The release cites Kansas Department of Transportation statistics saying that drugs and alcohol are implicated in 40% of crash-related deaths on state roadways.

“In Lawrence, one-third of the traffic fatalities in 2018 were alcohol related, and many others sustained injuries that will forever change their lives,” according to the release. “Sadly, these tragedies are preventable by simply identifying a designated driver or calling a taxi or rideshare.”

Lawrence Police Chief Gregory Burns Jr. said in the release that if you suspect someone may be driving while impaired, call 911 “as soon as it’s safe.” A description of the vehicle, its location and its direction of travel would be helpful, he said.

Also, “If you have to ask yourself if you’re ok to drive, then you’re probably not,” Burns said in the release.