Treasure Valley Law Enforcement Unites to Stop Impaired Driving and to Remember the Victims

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: 5/25/16 at 2:00 p.m.


MERIDIAN - Memorial Day marks the beginning of long days filled with sunshine, barbeques and activities with family and friends, however for far too many it also means that loved ones are lost in vehicle crashes. Memorial Day through Labor Day is known as the "100 Deadliest Days" on Idaho's roads and historically it is the time of year when there are more deaths and serious injuries due to dangerous driving behaviors.

Idaho State Police along with the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety and other Treasure Valley law enforcement, including the Boise, Caldwell, Meridian and Nampa Police Departments, are partnering during an emphasis patrol this weekend to stop impaired driving, one of the most deadly and preventable causes of crashes.

"Alcohol and driving is always a bad mix. Last Memorial Day weekend there were 9 crashes in Idaho where alcohol or drugs involved," said Idaho State Police Sergeant Jason Cagle. "Every day, nearly 30 people in the U.S. die in a motor-vehicle crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver.
Please designate a driver before anybody in your party drinks so that everyone makes it home."

Many of the officers and troopers who will be on patrol in the Treasure Valley this weekend will begin the weekend by remembering victims of impaired driving during the Idaho Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Annual "Forget Me Not Memorial Ceremony" on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. at the Cloverdale Funeral Home in Boise.

"Law enforcement appreciates the efforts of Idaho MADD in partnering with us at every level to reduce impaired driving deaths and injuries on our roads," said Sgt. Cagle. "We appreciate the MADD volunteers who remember the victims as we do. They are especially supportive of the families impacted by impaired driving by losing a loved one or having a loved one seriously injured by a driver who, simply, should not have been behind the wheel."

Law enforcement will also continue to work as one team throughout the summer with goal to reduce deadly crashes caused by other dangerous driving behaviors including distracted drivers, aggressive drivers, speed, as well as, seatbelts enforcement. The Idaho Department of Transportation's Office of Highway Safety is providing grant funds that will allow law enforcement agencies to pay for extra patrols dedicated to traffic law enforcement.

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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