Minden Police Department wants to remind motorists to Drive Sober Get Pulled Over. In order to enforce this reminder, Minden Police Department will be stepping up enforcement beginning August. 16.
“Our officer’ will be enforcing this law,” said Chief Jared McIver. “If you are impaired, you will be stopped.”
Minden Police Department and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office efforts are part of a larger, national Drive Sober Get Pulled Over mobilization that runs August 16 – September 2.
Driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime. Tough enforcement of drinking and driving laws is a major factor in the decrease in drinking and driving related deaths since the 1980s. Charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines and jail time. It’s also extremely expensive. A first-time offense can cost the driver close to $10,000 in fines and legal fees.
Every day, 28 people in the United States die in an alcohol-related vehicle crash—that’s one person every 51 minutes. Drunk driving fatalities have fallen by a third in the last three decades; however, the chance of being in an alcohol-impaired crash is still one in three over the course of a lifetime. These deaths and damages contribute to a cost of $52B per year.
BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER IS SIMPLE IF YOU ARE DRINKING, PLAN NOT TO DRIVE:
- Before drinking, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.
- Don’t let your friends drive impaired.
- If you have been drinking, call a taxi or ride service. Some communities have Safe Ride programs for a free ride home.
- If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
- Always wear your seat belt— it’s your best defense against impaired driver
For more information on the Drive Sober Get Pulled Over mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot