Alcohol patrol saturation planned

On Friday and Saturday, the North Dakota Highway Patrol, along with the Jamestown Police Department and Stutsman County Sheriff’s Department, will be conducting an alcohol saturation in Stutsman County to deter and detect impaired drivers on the federal, state, county and local roadways in Stutsman County.

In addition to the alcohol saturation, a sobriety checkpoint will be conducted by the three agencies, on one of the above dates, at an undisclosed location.

The purpose of enforcement efforts by the NDHP and local law enforcement partners during an alcohol saturation or sobriety checkpoint is not to arrest DUI drivers, but to cause people to think before they consume alcohol and get behind the wheel, and for them to find alternate ways to reach their destinations after they’ve been drinking, officials said. If someone decides to drink and drive, when authorities locate and stop that driver, the driver will be arrested and taken to jail.

North Dakota continues to experience the loss of life on its roadways because of impaired drivers. In 2012, 50 percent of fatal crash victims have been killed in alcohol-involved crashes, resulting in the loss of 55 lives, the patrol said.

Tags: law enforcement, news, transportation