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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
District 1 Patrol 615 West Wilbur Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815
(208) 209-8620
For Immediate Release: 03/16/2022 10:50a.m.
Please direct questions to the District Office
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Keep that Irish Luck: Drive Sober.
North Idaho DUI Task Force St. Patrick's Day Patrols
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The Idaho State Police will partner with multiple agencies in North Idaho this St. Patrick's Day to combat impaired drivers.
"We're being proactive with education and will definitely be aggressive in our enforcement with the goal of protecting people from the danger posed by impaired drivers," said Trooper Daniel Taylor of Idaho State Police District 1 in Coeur d'Alene.
"Don't be the reason we have to go to someone's home with the tragic news that their loved one was killed because of one bad decision. We know alcohol is a part of a lot of St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Just plan ahead, use good judgment, and never get behind the wheel if you are impaired."
The North Idaho DUI Task Force includes Officers, Deputies, and Troopers with the Idaho State Police, Coeur d'Alene Police, Rathdrum Police, Spirit Lake Police, Post Falls Police, Hayden Lake Police, and the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.
"We live where access to alternative transportation is readily available to ensure folks get home safely after celebrating with friends and family. Just take a few minutes to plan ahead to have a designated driver, to use rideshares like UBER or LYFT, or call a friend, family member or a local taxi service. It's the safe, smart thing to do." Said Trooper Taylor.
National statistics show St. Patrick's Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation's roads.
- During the 2015-2019 St. Patrick's Day period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 280 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes.
- On average, a DUI arrest can cost $10,000 in attorney's fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, and higher insurance rates.
North Idaho DUI Task Force patrols will be on the streets beginning St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, May 17 through the following weekend.
Do you think you are behind an impaired driver? Don't hesitate to let us know. Dial 911 or *ISP (*477).
