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Impaired driving campaign to include Fourth of July weekend;
previous effort nabs 225 for DUI

Ensuring safe travel on Idaho highways is a prime reason for high visibility education and enforcement campaigns that target impaired driving, such as one planned statewide June 30 - July 11, which includes the Fourth of July holiday.

ITD’s Office of Highway Safety works with partners statewide to reduce deaths and injuries from traffic crashes by addressing impaired driving. The effort is part of the department’s commitment to achieve a goal of zero deaths on Idaho highways.

According to statistics gathered by ITD, 70 agencies statewide participated in the St. Patrick’s Day safety effort to eliminate impaired driving. Those efforts identified not only impaired drivers, but others who were involved in dangerous driving behaviors or breaking traffic laws as well.

Law enforcement officers made 225 driving under the influence (DUI) arrests across the state during the 10-day St. Patrick's Day effort, from March 11 to March 21.

In addition to the DUI arrests, law enforcement officers apprehended 263 fugitives, made 162 felony arrests, recorded 210 drug arrests and recovered six stolen vehicles.

A number of additional citations also were issued during the campaign. These included 366 seat belt citations, 26 child passenger safety and youth seat belt citations, 290 suspended license citations, 1,151 uninsured motorist citations, 1,486 speeding citations, and 39 reckless driving citations.

“We encourage every driver to make smart choices when behind the wheel of a motor vehicle,” said Kevin Bechen, with ITD's Highway Safety Office. “ITD and its highway safety partners are committed to doing everything we can to help keep families safe and whole as we work Towards Zero Deaths on all of Idaho’s roadways.”