December 17, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

RE:  Impaired Driving Mobilization

     Beginning this weekend, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies will join nearly 50 law enforcement agencies across Idaho in extra patrols to find and arrest drunk drivers over the next few weeks.  With traffic fatalities in Idaho reaching a 15-year high, many involving intoxicated driving, it’s important to focus extra patrols during this busy holiday season and intervene before tragedy strikes.  So far this year, at least 254 people have been killed in traffic crashes across the state – the most fatalities in a single year since 2006.  Last year impaired driving was a factor in 43 percent of all fatality crashes according to data from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). That’s 43 percent of the fatality crashes where families will be without their loved ones this holiday season that potentially could have been prevented. 

     Deputies participate in these extra patrols using grant funds from ITD’s Office of Highway Safety as part of a nationwide effort to remind drivers to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”  “We appreciate the officers who miss out on precious time with their families during the holidays to keep us all safe,” said ITD Highway Safety Manager John Tomlinson. “We’re also grateful for others who do their part – the designated driver, the bartender who calls a cab, and the friend who answers that late-night call to help someone get home safely. We can all help end impaired driving.”  “These efforts are about keeping families safe and whole during this special time of year. There are so many ways to get a safe ride home and we encourage everyone to be responsible, plan ahead of time and avoid getting behind the wheel.  Our Deputies have seen the effects of alcohol related crashes, and we are ready to find and arrest anyone who thinks it’s okay to drink and drive,” said Bonneville County Sheriff Samuel Hulse. 

     If your holiday celebrations involve alcohol, take the time to plan for a safe ride home.  If you know someone who is intoxicated or even “buzzed” and about to drive, do the safe thing and take the keys.  Doing so could save their life or the lives of others on our roads.  If you suspect someone is driving intoxicated, be a good witness and contact your local Law Enforcement dispatch.