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Source: http://lsp.org/news_detail.html?id=3734

id cleanReleaseDate troopName title
3734 2012-07-02 Troop D DWI checkpoint in Calcasieu Parish

News Release – Troop D

July 2, 2012
DWI checkpoint in Calcasieu Parish

The Fourth of July holiday period is deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 392 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the Fourth of July holiday in 2010. Of those fatalities, 39 percent were in crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

Last year, two people lost their lives in impaired driving crashes investigated by Troop D over the Fourth of July holiday period.

Nighttime is particularly dangerous. Across the country, impaired driving fatalities spike during the nighttime hours. During the 2010 July 4th holiday period more than 80 percent of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities took place at nighttime (from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.).

To save lives on our roadways, Louisiana State Police Troop D with the assistance of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office plans to conduct a DWI checkpoint on Friday, July 6, 2012, from approximately 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location in Calcasieu Parish. Our mission will be to find and remove impaired drivers from the road before they can cause injury or death to themselves or others.

Furthermore, overtime funding has been provided by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and additional troopers will be on patrol over the Fourth of July holiday period (July 3 through July 8) looking for impaired and aggressive drivers.


    Here are a few simple tips to avoid a drunk-driving disaster:
      Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
      Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
      If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely;
      If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact the Louisiana State Police by dialing *LSP (*577) on your cellular phone.
      And remember, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
More information on the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement crackdown can be found on www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.

Contact Information:
Sgt. James Anderson
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section
Office: (337) 491-2932
james.anderson@dps.la.gov

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