Treasure Valley Law Enforcement Unite to Stop Impaired Driving While Conducting Virtual Ride-Alongs on Twitter

IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
Teresa Baker
Public Information Officer
Headquarters
700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642
(208) 884-7122
Fax (208) 884-7087

For Immediate Release: 12/18/14 at 8:20 a.m.

MERIDIAN - Law enforcement officers from across the Treasure Valley are teaming up to stop impaired driving this holiday season. The Boise, Caldwell, Meridian and Nampa Police Departments and the Idaho State Police, as part of the Treasure Valley DUI Task Force, are joining together to enforce impaired driving laws through the holiday season. Just as important as enforcement action is raising the public's awareness of the dangers of driving after drinking too much, using illegal substances or even taking over-the-counter or prescription medication that affect motor skills

"Whether you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prescription or fillicit, the message is the same, don't get behind the wheel," says Idaho State Police Sgt. Jason Cagle. "The holidays are a time to bring family and friends together in celebration and, unfortunately, we see all too often multiple families destroyed by a deadly crash when a driver should not have been driving."

The Idaho Department of Transportation's Office of Highway Safety (OHS) reports that in 2013, there were more than 1,425 impaired driving crashes in the state of Idaho. As a result of these crashes there were 96 people killed and 228 people who sustained serious injury. Almost 45% of all fatalities on Idaho's roads and highways were the result of impaired driving. While the number of impaired driving crashes was down 2% from 2012, the fatalities that resulted from those crashes increased by 32%. These statistics are so startling that increased patrols are funded by grants from the OHS between November 27th and January 4th.

The officers and troopers who will be on patrol in the Treasure Valley on Friday night will hear from Kendra Koch whose daughter Araceli, age 8, lost her father Val in an impaired driving crash in Twin Falls on July 14, 2013. Also on hand for the kick-off of the patrols will be the volunteers and staff from Mothers Against Drunk Driving Idaho.

The public will be able to follow along on patrols on Friday as many of the agencies will be conducting "Tweet-Alongs" from the front seat of their patrol cars as they participate in the 4th Global Police Tweet-a-thon on Twitter.

The Global Police Tweet-a-thon is a twice a year event that lasts for 24 hours in each time zone. Each agency participating across the globe uses the hashtag #PolTwt. ISP will share information from the road with our DUI Strike Team troopers beginning on Friday at 8:00 p.m. and ending on Saturday at about 2:00 a.m. Idaho State Police can be found on Twitter at @IdahoStPolice.

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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