Enforcement of drunk driving being stepped up
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol will step up its enforcement of drunk driving during the next 10 days. Troopers will work 100 to 120 extra shifts from June 30 to July 8.
Troopers have “zero tolerance” for anyone driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs, patrol Capt. Chris West said.
Sixty-three people have died this year in alcohol-related or drug-related crashes on Oklahoma roads, the patrol reported. Last year, 23 percent of crashes were alcohol or drug related during the Fourth of July holiday.
“We want to get intoxicated drivers off our roads before they kill someone,” West said. “The Oklahoma Highway Patrol doesn’t issue warnings for alcohol-related or drug-related offenses. If you are stopped for DUI, your vehicle will be impounded, you will go to jail and your driving privileges will be revoked.”
During last month’s Click it Or Ticket campaign, troopers issued nearly 2,700 seat belt citations and zero warnings.
“We are hopeful that during this holiday citations for safety belts will be down. It only takes a few seconds to buckle up. These few seconds may save your life,” West said. “The worst part of a trooper’s job is notifying family members that their loved on has been killed in a traffic crash.”
The patrol also will participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) — targeting vehicle restraint violators during holiday periods.
Operation C.A.R.E., which began in 1977, is a nationwide traffic enforcement campaign. State troopers and police throughout the United States concentrate enforcement activities toward alcohol-related offenses, speeding and seat belt and child restraint use.
Brian Sargent
Staff Writer
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