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Friday, August 7, 2015

Sober Driving Initiative

As summer winds down, Wrentham Police will be out in force looking for impaired drivers.  From August 14 to September 7, the Wrentham Police Department will be teaming up with Massachusetts State Police and more than 191 eligible local police departments across the state to curb impaired driving and save lives.  The 25-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD).  

In 2013, there were 10,076 people killed across the country in drunk-driving crashes, and 118 of those people were killed on Massachusetts roadways.  As people celebrate the final days of summer, Labor Day weekend is a dangerous time to be on the roads.  Thirty eight percent of national crash fatalities on Labor Day weekend in 2013 involved drunk drivers with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] of .08 or higher, amounting to 161 lives lost across the country.  There were four fatalities that same weekend in Massachusetts.    

In every state, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher.  Chief James Anderson wants to remind Wrentham area drivers that driving sober is not a recommendation – it’s the law.  During the upcoming enforcement period, there will be a special emphasis on drunk-driving enforcement.  Local drivers should expect to see more patrol vehicles, OUI checkpoints, and increased messaging about this reckless crime.  

 The Wrentham Police Department also reminds motorists that wearing a safety belt is your best defense against drunk and aggressive drivers and your own mistakes.