| Show Utah Highway Patrol beefs up DUI checks for long weekends Mak Contributing Writer Labor Day is summers summer's last hurrah for people everywhere everywhere everywhere ev ev- especially for stu stu- dents It is the last chance to really let loose and enjoy the last bits of summer and freedom before the looming onslaught of homework tests and teachers begin So bring out all the food people activities and cal law enforcement meni Not regrettably so sq that will hopefully impact the Labor Labor Labor La La- bor Day holiday liday weekend 0 k r r f. f 1 L on the roads positively in relation to the safety in the streets In a statewide campaign dubbed Drunk Driving Over the Limit Under Arrest Arrest Arrest Ar Ar- rest local police departments departments departments depart depart- ments from all over the state including the Salt Lake valley valley valley val val- ley are working in conjunction tion with Utah Highway Patrol Patrol Pa Pa- Patrol to crack down on the number of drunk drivers and hope to deter that with their more than obvious presence on on the road With Witha a federal grant agencies statewide will be ber L J 1 v j ct t r LJ 1 able to increase the number of police officers to enforce the drunken driving laws Local law enforcement also plan to have random checkpoints checkpoints checkpoints check check- points set up as apart of the statewide blitz According to this endeavor began August 18 as a week two-week effort to hopefully reduce the temptation temptation temptation temp temp- tation to drive under the in influence influence influence in- in fluence that has claimed so many lives on the road inthe in inthe inthe the past The first weekend as of August 18 alone netted a large number of stops 25 r. i. i i. i i t l r c i. i v t r f. f F t 1 1 people were arrested were warned 50 were administered administered administered ad ad- ministered sobriety tests and were stopped for other possible safety vio vio- lations In a Deseret News article Utah has led the nation nation nation na na- tion in the reduction of DUI related deaths by 51 percent si since ce 2004 Despite those statistics there were still 44 drunk-driving drunk related deaths and arrests made in relation to driving under the influence last year DUI Continued on Page 2 7 t. t i T. T 1 DUI patrols will increase Continued from Page 1 In Utah the legal blood alcohol limit is 08 percent Under Utah law the penalties penalties penalties penal penal- ties can vary from a suspended suspended sus sus- suspended license over a period period period pe pe- of time and a large fine from roughly 1500 1500 excluding any lawyer fees with possible community service The penalties are of course much harsher if there are continual offenses of this nature Many drunk drivers do donot donot donot not seem to realize the great and many fatal consequences es cs of their actions when they get behind the wheel Innocent lives are cut short and left behind are ruined lives and broken hearts of loved ones that may never be truly mended due to the unexpected and senseless nature of the deaths is hoping that with their increased presence over the week two-week time period it would make our Utah roads that much safer over the Labor Day holiday weekend |
