Columbia Police Department Cracking Down on Impaired Drivers July 1st - July 4th

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

Columbia Police Department Cracking Down on Impaired Drivers July 1^st-July 4^th

          As part of the Columbia Police Department’s continued efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roadways, enforcement efforts will be increased July 01- July 04, 2011.  The Columbia Police Department received a grant form the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division for participation in the You Drink & Drive, You Lose/July 4^th Weekend campaign to stop people from driving while intoxicated.  A portion of the increased focus on impaired driving during these dates will include at least one sobriety checkpoint within the City of Columbia, as well as increase saturation patrols.  Motorists encountering sobriety checkpoint should expect minimal delays.

            Impaired driving contributes to more than 30 percent of Missouri traffic fatalities.  In 2010, 203 people were killed and 3,700 people were injured in crashes involving impaired drivers.  Missouri has a Zero Tolerance law.  If you are under 21, your license will be suspended if you’re caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your body.  If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you could be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.  Your license can be suspended for 90 days on your first arrest for driving while intoxicated.  Your second offense results in a year-long revocation of your license, a fine of up to $1,000, and up to one year in jail.  Any person guilty of a second or subsequent alcohol-related traffic offense will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle before their driving privileges are reinstated.

            “There’s never a reason for driving while intoxicated,” states Columbia Police Department DWI Enforcement Unit Officer Nathan Turner. “Impaired driving is a preventable crime, and the Columbia Police Department will continue to have a zero-tolerance approach to those who choose to drink and drive on Columbia’s roadways.”

 

Police Department Contacts

Officer Nathan Turner

D.W.I. Enforcement Unit

(573) 874-7652

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Officer Latisha Stroer

Public Information Officer

(573) 874-7652

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                                                                                                                                       Sergeant Curtis Perkins

                                                                                                                                          Traffic Unit Supervisor

(573)824-6336

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