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St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI announcing impaired driving crackdown through Jan. 1

Posted 12/15/17

St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI announced recently that law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1 to stop drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs as part of the …

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St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI announcing impaired driving crackdown through Jan. 1

Posted

St. Lawrence County STOP-DWI announced recently that law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1 to stop drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs as part of the state’s STOP-DWI enforcement crackdowns.

"The holiday season is historically a deadly period for impaired driving," said press release from the county STOP-DWI group.

Impaired driving, whether it is alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drug use, "is a problem in St. Lawrence County," said the press release. "Whether it is buzzed driving or drugged driving, it is still illegal and poses a danger to the other motorists and innocent victims that many times are affected by the actions of these irresponsible drivers."

Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] of .08 of higher). In 2016, there were 10,497 people killed in these "preventable crashes," the release said.

According to NHTSA, take steps to prevent impaired driving:

• If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.

• If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Download the free STOP-DWI mobile app: “Have A Plan” which helps you identify your location and call a taxi or friend to pick you up. The “Have A Plan” app operates on iPhone, Android and Windows platforms, and has features such as an ability to preload a list of designated drivers, find a taxi cab via GPS, and a ‘Report DWI’ button that connects users to their local 911 service.

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life.

If someone you know is impaired, organizers advise, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Before anyone starts drinking, they should give their keys to someone else or leave them at home, or get the phone number of a friend or local taxi service.

The funding for this crackdown and mobile application was provided by the state STOP-DWI Foundation through a grant from the governor’s Traffic Safety Committee via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).