With the holiday season quickly approaching, bringing with it the celebrations and time spent with loved ones, the La Porte County DUI Task Force has announced they will be increasing the amount of patrols they conduct in order to ensure safe travel.
The upcoming patrols by the taskforce members will focus on ensuring that adults and children of La Porte County, along with traveling motorists through the county, remain safe during the holiday season. Additional patrols will be added the first week of January to coincide with the College Football Bowl Championship Series.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during December 2010, 2,597 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes, and 775 of those were killed in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers.
La Porte County DUI Task Force Commander Sergeant Derek Allen said the holidays are a time for celebration, not tragedy. He encourages drivers to help make the roadways of La Porte County safe by never drinking and driving, and said he has a number of tips to make the trips safer during the upcoming holiday season.
Plan ahead; if you will be consuming alcoholic beverages, do not plan on driving. Designate a sober driver; if you are impaired, find an alternate route home. Utilize a taxi service, public transportation, or call a sober friend or family member for a ride. Be responsible; if someone you know is intoxicated, do not let them operate a vehicle. If you see a possible intoxicated driver on a roadway, call 911.
The DUI Taskforce is a grant funded project comprising of police officers from the Michigan City and La Porte Police Departments and deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office. The grant is funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and overseen by the governor’s council on impaired and dangerous driving.
