TROOPERS DRESSING UP THIS WEEKEND BUT NOT IN COSTUME - STATE POLICE LAUNCHING EXTRA DUI PATROLS

(Pikesville, MD) – No costumes, but additional troopers will be wearing their usual uniforms as part of extra Maryland State Police drunk driving patrols that will be deployed this weekend in every county in Maryland.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan has ordered each of the 22 barracks to conduct drunk driving saturation patrols in an effort to reduce injuries and fatalities caused by drunk driving crashes. “Our goal this weekend is to locate and arrest drunk drivers before they are involved in a crash that results in injury or death,” Colonel Sheridan said. “Troopers will accept no excuses for drunk driving this or any other weekend. Anyone planning to mix alcohol and driving this weekend should also plan to meet a Maryland state trooper who will not have treats, but will have handcuffs and will provide a free ride to jail.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities on Halloween night involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, which is illegal in Maryland and every other state. Maryland law states a driver with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is driving under the influence and a driver with a blood alcohol content of .07 is driving while impaired. Either charge will lead to an arrest and could result in a significant fine, jail time, and points on a driver’s license.

In Maryland, a first offense for driving under the influence could result in a fine of up to $1,000 and a sentence of up to one year in jail. In addition, the violation would mean 12 points on the offender’s driver’s license and a license revocation for six months. Driver’s licenses are confiscated by police from those refusing to take a blood alcohol test and from those whose test result is .08 or higher.

Extra troopers will be saturating roads and highways where incidents of DUI crashes are highest. The additional troopers solely focused on drunk driving patrols will be working on overtime funded by grants from the Maryland Highway Safety Office. The regular complement of road patrol troopers will also be on the alert from drunk drivers while fulfilling their normal duties.

In 2009, police across Maryland made 24,422 arrests for drunk driving. From 2004 through 2009, DUI arrests numbers have ranged between 24,144 and 25,129 per year.

Those planning to drink alcoholic beverages are urged to make plans to get home safely before they begin drinking. Options include arranging for a sober driver, to whom you gave your keys, to drive you home; use a taxi; call a friend or family member to pick you up; or use public transportation.

State troopers are urging motorists to contact police if they see a driver who might be operating under the influence. Troopers and allied law enforcement will make every attempt to locate the driver and take the appropriate enforcement action.