Crime & Safety

Drunk Driving Crackdown Held

This month, Eureka Police Department officers made a concerted effort within the "You Drink and Drive, You Lose" campaign to identify impaired drivers due to a variety of safety reasons.

Four impaired driving arrests were made during the "drunk driving crackdown" conducted May 4–13 by Eureka Police Department officers.

"It is illegal for someone under 21 to possess or consume alcohol in Missouri, yet youth make up a significant proportion of drunk drivers, causing traffic crashes on Missouri roadways. Missouri has a Zero Tolerance Law," said Eureka Police Chief Wiegand.  "If you are under 21, your license will be suspended if you’re caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your system."

Wiegand said officers also issued a variety of traffic citations during the specified period:  four speeding tickets; one driving while suspended; two minors in possession; and 24 other traffic violations. One felony arrest was made as a result of the crackdown, Wiegand said.

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Missouri law enforcement teams participated in the crackdown on underage drinking to ensure Missouri youth celebrate safe and sober so they could "Arrive Alive" at proms and graduations, he said.

Wiegand said the sobering fact is that impaired driving contributes to nearly 30 percent of all Missouri traffic fatalities.  In 2010 in Missouri, 234 people were killed and 957 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver, according to statistics available online from the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

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