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Officials to look out for impaired drivers |
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Saturday, 30 December 2006 |
By ANNIE LINDER
Staff Writer
As party-goers make plans to ring in the New Year this weekend, law enforcement officials are planning to provide extra patrol in hopes of intercepting impaired drivers.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers in Auglaize and Mercer County plan to closely monitor the roads, keeping a particularly watchful eye on more populated areas in the vicinity of bars and restaurants, Wapakoneta Post Commander Lt. Dan Lay said in a telephone interview Thursday.
“We look at past statistics on alcohol-related crashes and where they are most likely to occur,” Lay said. “The prime times are between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., but we’ll have extra troopers out starting at 3 p.m. New Year’s Eve until about 6 a.m. New Year’s Day.”
Although there are no organized checkpoints planned, Lay said the troopers plan to patrol with the assistance of deputies from the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Wapakoneta Police Department. Motorists on the road should keep in mind that they may be more likely to be pulled over for minor traffic violations during those times, Lay said, even if they have not been drinking.
“Sometimes people complain that they were stopped and hadn’t been drinking, but the officers are very focused at that time,” Lay said. “Even if you’re driving safely and have a minor violation, such as driving left of center or driving without a headlight, they may ask questions.”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol in Columbus recently released statistics on this year’s top 10 Ohio counties with the most stops for OVI — operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs of abuse.
Through November of 2006, state troopers made a total of 24,051 OVI arrests on Ohio roads, with Franklin County topping the list at 800 arrests, followed by Lorain at 768, Mahoning and Stark counties, each with 670 arrests, according to an OSHP news release.
Of this year’s OVI arrests at the Wapakoneta Post, 135 were made in Auglaize County and 165 were made in Mercer County.
Although Ohio recorded 10 fatal crashes on New Year’s Eve last year — four of which involved alcohol — New Year’s Eve has become statistically safer in the past decade than other holidays, such as the Labor Day and Fourth of July weekends, officials said.
Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Webb said he attributes this to an increase in public awareness of the problem and more people taking precautions when they anticipate drinking.
“Most people will designate a driver,” he said.
Even the most responsible drivers can be involved in an alcohol-related crash, Lay said, wearing safety belts and watching for oncoming traffic are especially important.
Anyone who spots a reckless driver or suspects someone is driving under the influence should call 1-800-GRAB-DUI or dial 911 if the situation requires immediate attention, he added.
Not every call ends in arrest, but all calls are taken seriously, Lay said. “Approximately one out of 10 of those calls results in catching a drunk driver,” he said. “Others may be (someone who is) sleepy or just driving poorly. “
Depending on whether an intoxicated driver has had prior convictions, those whose blood alcohol level tests above the 0.08 legal limit could spend New Year’s Day in jail, Lay said.
A conviction of OVI is a first degree misdemeanor offense, punishable by a sentence that could include jail time, fines or suspension of driving privileges, according to Ohio law. The increased patrol on the roadways is designed not to stop people from drinking, but to prevent them from making poor decisions that could get them arrested or killed, Lay said. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 January 2007 )
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