BCSO and ISP collaborating to prevent impaired driving
BONNERS FERRY — Idaho State Police will partner with approximately 60 other Idaho law enforcement agencies to staff extra patrols looking for drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Boundary County Sheriffs will be collaborating with ISP and working to prevent unsafe impaired driving.
According to Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer, “In addition to being safe with fireworks and anything that could start a fire over the July Fourth weekend we encourage everyone not to drive while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs, this includes prescription drugs that can impair your ability to drive safely.”
The Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is coordinating the effort to help keep Idaho motorists safe from the threat posed by those who drive impaired.
"Impaired driving changes lives, ends lives, and devastates families. We see those consequences in the work we do every day. That's why we're proud to join our partner agencies and add extra patrols to do all we can to keep our roads safe at a time when they're busy with traveling families," said ISP Lt. Ken Yount.
Extra DUI patrols begin Thursday, July 1, and will continue through Thursday, July 15.
"We know that alcohol may be part of summertime events. We need folks to simply take a few minutes and plan ahead for a designated driver and a sober ride home," said Lt. Yount. "Remember to avoid excessive use of alcohol, especially in this intense heat, and to keep alcohol away from those who are underage. This isn't about making arrests, it's about keeping families whole."
DUI arrests made statewide by Troopers with the Idaho State Police increased in 2020, from 1688 DUI arrests in 2019 to 1706 DUI arrests made last year.
Impaired driving was the cause of 1,501 crashes in 2019, resulting in 99 deaths in Idaho. In addition, there were 8,084 DUI arrests statewide in 2019, according to OHS data.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person in the U.S. dies every 52 minutes in an impaired driving crash.