Law Enforcement, In 3 States, Steps Up Drunken Driving Enforcement

Traffic & Transit

Law Enforcement, In 3 States, Steps Up Drunken Driving Enforcement State, county, local police attempt to deter impaired driving through Sunday; suggest making plans to get home safely during the holidays.

Law enforcement partners in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine will work through Sunday to stop drunk drivers. (New Hampshire Department of Safety)

CONCORD, NH — State officials from Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are collaborating to deter impaired driving and discourage excessive drinking through Sunday.

Law enforcement agencies, at the state, county, and local level, are assigning “specific patrols” in an effort to “find and arrest impair drivers.” State and federal grants are funding the effort.

“We are urging everyone to make the right choice and to refuse to drink and drive,” said New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety spokesperson Tyler Dumont.

Officials said, in 2021, 118 people were killed in crashes in the Granite State, and nearly 70 percent were alcohol or drug-related.

Mass. State Police Capt. Kathryn Downey said in November 2022, 33 people died on Massachusetts roadways while nearly 300 were seriously injured last month.

“That’s too many,” she said. “We will be deploying additional patrols over the next week focusing on impaired, dangerous, and distracted drivers who are creating hazards and potentially causing crashes on our highways.”

In Maine, according to Maine State Police Spc. Seth Allen, three people died, one alcohol-related, during the 2022 Thanksgiving weekend.

“In these upcoming days, if you do choose to travel, we ask you to take some certain precautions,” New Hampshire State Police Lt. Joseph Ronci, Commander of Troop A, said. “Simply, plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time to get from point A to point B. Don’t rush, and don’t crowd others on the drive over to where you’re going. If you do choose to drink, please designate a driver ahead of time.”

Some safety tips by officials include: Always drive 100 percent sober — even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many; Make a plan: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one; You have options to get home safely: designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it; If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink; If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911; If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.

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