100 Deadliest Days of Driving comes to an end Labor Day Weekend – officers are looking for violators

Contact:
Tim Marsano, Idaho State Police PIO, 208.884.7122 or Bill Kotowski, Idaho Transportation Department PIO, 208.334.8869

Immediate release, Aug. 29, 2018

100 Deadliest Days is coming to an end this Labor Day Weekend - law enforcement is looking for violators
- First-ever statewide "No Refusal Weekend" in an effort to curb impaired driving -

With the high number of traffic fatalities this summer on Idaho's roadways since the "100 Deadliest Days of Summer" began Memorial Day weekend (93 deaths as of this message), law enforcement agencies around our state will be paying close attention to the behavior of drivers. In an effort to halt impaired driving, law enforcement officers will work overtime to strictly enforce our laws. Drivers suspected of intoxicated driving will be subject to having a search warrant issued for a blood draw if they attempt to refuse requests for a breath sample; prosecutors and judges are standing by to issue those warrants.

The Idaho Department of Transportation's Office of Highway Safety is coordinating this effort by providing overtime pay for officers who can participate. The primary goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roadway this holiday weekend through education and strict enforcement. This means a violator's chances of being caught, arrested and convicted are increased as a result of these efforts.

The Office of Highway Safety and Law Enforcement agencies across the state will be using social media (Facebook and Twitter) to keep Idahoans up to date on current DUI arrests in all areas of Idaho during this effort.

Law enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you've had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely.

- Download NHTSA's SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple?s iTunes Store for iOS devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user's location so he or she can be picked up.

- Use a rideshare program to get you home safe

- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement

- Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

"Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior," said Colonel Kedrick Wills, Idaho State Police director. "It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party and every time we make that decision, we're saving lives. That's why, during the Labor Day holiday, we will make zero exceptions for drunk driving. There are just no excuses," he said.

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