‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ this July 4th holiday

Louisiana State Police and local sheriff’s offices and police departments will be out in full force for the Fourth of July holiday as part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aimed at catching impaired drivers on the area’s roads.

“If you intend to drink this Fourth of July, don’t drive,” said LSP Troop C Commander Capt. Darrin Naquin in a statement. “Designate a driver or call someone to pick you up. Don’t put your life and others at risk. We are serious about catching the offenders. No warnings. No excuses. If you drive impaired, you will be arrested.”

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fourth of July is one of the deadliest holidays of the year, and local law enforcement has teamed with the South Central Safe Community Partnership to conduct seatbelt checks and DWI patrols.

Officers from Troop C will host a joint DWI and seatbelt checkpoint with Houma Police Department on July 3, and the police department will increase saturation patrols throughout the whole month of July.

“(The) location hasn’t been established yet but it will most likely be in Terrebonne Parish,” Naquin, who is also the Chairman of the SCSCP, said.

“These operations are being funded through a 2-year enforcement grant from LA Highway Safety Commission, and we are committed to constantly warn the drivers not to drink and drive,” said Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis.

Young drivers seem to be the demographic most in need of a warning.

Holidays are the busiest times for DWI arrests. During 2011’s July 4th holiday, more than half of young drivers ages 18-34 years, who were killed in alcohol-related accidents, were legally drunk, according to national statistics. Holiday festivities sometime last all day, and, in 2011, alcohol impairment among drivers in fatal crashes was almost 4.5 times higher at night.

In 2012, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes ranked among the Top 10 parishes in the state for the highest number of alcohol-related fatalities, according to data collected by the Louisiana State University Highway Safety Research Group.

Across the state, alcohol-related driving causes more than half of all traffic fatalities and a fourth of overall serious injuries. In the South Central Region, which includes Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. James, St. John and St. Charles parishes, 1,198 of the 4,333 fatalities and serious injuries from 2007-2011 were alcohol-related.

In addition to causing injuries and fatalities, drunk drivers also face losing their driver’s license, vehicle impoundment, jail time, lawyer fees, court costs and insurance hikes.