(COLUMBIA, MO) -
As part of the Columbia Police Department's continued efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roadways, enforcement efforts will be increased August 8, 2016 through August 13, 2016.
CPD received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Division for participation in the You Drink, You Drive, You Lose 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 increased saturation patrols. Motorists encountering sobriety checkpoint should expect minimal delays.
Impaired driving contributes to nearly 30 percent of Missouri traffic fatalities. In 2014, 205 people were killed in Missouri by being involved in crashes involving impaired drivers. An additional 3,480 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 seven 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.
"Driving while intoxicated is a decision that should not be made," says CPD DWI Unit Officer Mark Hoehne. "Here in Columbia, we have multiple options to help you get home safely. Please join us in keeping your night fun and not filled with decisions that will hurt you or other people."
75°F