Lake Charles –
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office is participating in the national crackdown on drunk driving with grant funding from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. The campaign, that starts today, August 18 and ends September 3, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,’ is a partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to curb impaired driving and save lives.
“Research shows approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities involve drunk drivers. According to the NHTSA in 2015, there were 10,265 people killed in drunk-driving crashes, an increase from the 9,967 people killed in 2014. By joining this nationwide effort, we will make Calcasieu Parish roadways safer for everyone,” said Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso.
In conjunction with the national crackdown on drunk driving campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a DWI checkpoint at an undisclosed location in the parish this Saturday, August 19. This checkpoint will target individuals driving under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics, which has been proven to be very effective in discouraging citizens from driving while impaired and people are more likely to designate a driver when they know sobriety checkpoints are being conducted.