As Labor Day Weekend approaches, officers from the City of Twin Falls will join law enforcement agencies across Idaho to keep drunk drivers off our roads. Beginning Friday through September 5, officers will dedicate patrols to look for drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
This enforcement effort comes as we near the end of the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer. This is the period of time between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day where there is typically an increase in fatal crashes – so far this summer, at least 72 people have been killed in crashes.
“From vacationing families to summer construction, there is a lot that happens on our roads in the summer,” said Officer Chris Ehardt, Twin Falls Police Department. “Impaired drivers put everyone else at risk when they choose to get behind the wheel.”
According to data from the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety, nearly 40 percent of all fatal crashes in Idaho involve some form of driver impairment. Between 2017 and 2021, 453 people were killed in impaired driving crashes in Idaho – including 108 people who were killed in 2021.
While additional officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers, we can all do our part to keep Idaho’s roads safe. Celebrate with a plan and remember these safe alternatives:
-Plan ahead. Before you drink, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
- Speak up: Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
- Call the Police: If you see a suspected impaired driver, use your cell phone in hands-free mode to call 911, or *ISP (that's STAR, I-S-P for Idaho State Police) or 1-800-233-1212