The New Haven Police Department will be participating in the 2012 Holiday DWI Enforcement Campaign to stop people from driving impaired this Holiday season. Enforcement efforts will be increased December 10-16 and will focus on reducing deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers.
“Losing family during the holidays is a tragedy,” said Chief Sheible. “losing them because someone chose to drive after drinking too much just compounds the pain.”
“If that’s not enough reason, think about the cost,” Chief Sheible continued. “First conviction, you pay for the attorney, fines, loses your license for 90 days. Second one, a heavier fine; lose the license for a year, and installing an ignition interlock system to test your breath before letting you start your car. And the third conviction can land a person in jail for seven years! It’s not worth it.”
Officers will be pulling over vehicles for any violation in their search for intoxicated or drugged drivers. In past years, officers during a crackdown such as this have discovered drugs, drivers intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, made warrant arrests, and has found a lost driver who had been bitten by a poisonous snake and was searching for a hospital.
In 2011, 234 people were killed and 945 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver.
To learn more about impaired driving, visit www.savemolives.com/.