Crime & Safety

Westport Police Department Begins Drunk Driving Crackdown

The enforcement begins tonight and lasts through Jan. 3.

The Westport Police Department announced today they will be joining with thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the country from today through Jan. 3 to take part in the "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." crackdown on impaired driving.

On the very first night of the crackdown Westport Police made three arrests for driving under the influence 

"Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter who your are or what you drive, if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses," Captain Foti Koskinas of the WPD said in a news release. We will be out in force to get more drunk drivers off the road—and save lives that might otherwise be lost. "

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Koskinas reminds motorists that driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is illegal in every state and that drunk driving is one of America's deadliest crimes.

In 2008, 11,773 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher, according to the release. The picture for women is particularly concerning. Twenty-one percent of the 5,473 female drivers killed in crashes in 2008 had BAC levels of .08 or higher.   

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"Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant," Koskinas said in the release. "Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver's license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don't take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest." 

The national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." impaired driving crackdown is a program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The latest effort is supported by $7.5 million in paid-national advertising to help put everyone on notice that if they are caught driving impaired, they will be arrested.  

For more information, visit www.Stopimpaireddriving.org.  


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