Drive safe for the holidays
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December 21, 2013 |
Law enforcement officers from across Idaho are
teaming up to stop impaired driving this holiday
season. Police departments, sheriff's offices
and the Idaho State Police are joining together
as "One Team for Borderless Enforcement" of
impaired driving laws.
Enhanced DUI patrols will be on the roads in
every city and county now through the first
weekend of January looking for those who have
had too much to drink, or are otherwise
impaired.
"Whether you are under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, prescription or illicit, or whatever
the case may be, the message is the same, don't
get behind the wheel," said Sergeat Sam Ketchum,
Idaho State Police. "The holidays are a time to
bring family and friends together and,
unfortunately, we see all too often families
brought together by the tragedy of drunk
driving."
In 2012, there were more than 1,450 impaired
driving crashes in the state of Idaho. As a
result of these crashes there were 73 people
killed and 241 people who sustained serious
injury. Nearly 11% of all fatal and injury
crashes involved an impaired driver, an impaired
pedestrian, or an impaired bicyclist.
Just fewer than 40% of all fatalities were the
result of an impaired driving crash.
Additionally, only 19% of those killed in
impaired driving crashes while in a passenger
vehicle were wearing a seatbelt.
A grant from the Idaho Department of
Transportation's Office of Highway Safety allows
for enhanced DUI patrols statewide between
December 20 and January 3 with payment for
overtime for officers involved in the patrols.
Law enforcement in southwest Idaho are
dedicating the enhanced holiday patrols on
Friday in the memory of Victoria Shafner of
Nampa, who was killed at the age of 19 in a
vehicle crash when her friend was driving
impaired in March, 2007.
You can easily avoid a becoming a DUI statistic
but you must PLAN AHEAD.
- PLAN not drink and drive before you start drinking. Alcohol impairs a
person's ability to determine if they should
drive. You can't count on making the right
decision after you've consumed alcohol.
- Designate a sober driver and give that person your keys.
- Plan to call a taxi, a sober friend or
family member to get you home safely.
- Offer non-alcoholic beverages when
entertaining.
- Promptly report drunk drivers to 9-1-1
or *ISP (*477) on your mobile phone.
- Wear your seat belt. This is the best
defense against an impaired driver.
- Friends don't let friends drive drunk
or impaired. If you know someone who is about to
drive while impaired, take their car keys and
make other safe travel arrangements to get them
home, or offer a spare bedroom or sofa to "sleep
it off." |
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