Additional troopers will be patrolling Louisiana roadways for aggressive and impaired drivers this Fourth of July weekend.
Louisiana State Police says that the weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year and the increase in traffic often leads to more crashes.
They are reminding drivers to remain attentive to their surroundings, exercise patience, show courtesy to other motorists and limit in-vehicle distractions while traveling this holiday.
According to LSP, every year, impaired drivers kill or injure thousands of people across the country. In 2019 in Louisiana, impaired drivers were involved in 39.6 percent of fatal crashes in the state.
The drunk driving death rate in Louisiana is 5.2 deaths per 100,000 people and is higher than the national average of 3.2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Troopers say they will be working closely with local law enforcement agencies to make holiday travel safer by participating in this year’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”campaign. The campaign is designed to save lives by keeping impaired drivers off the road and reducing roadway fatalities.
The additional manpower is made possible by funding provided by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Motorists should designate a safe and sober driver before heading to any location where alcohol will be consumed.
"The facts are that 40 percent of the fatalities out there involve an impaired driver," said Master Trooper Thomas Gossen, Louisiana State Police Troop I. "Another statistic is that 59 percent of the drivers and 62 percent of the passengers are not wearing seatbelts whenever they were killed in a fatality crash, so what we want to do is raise awareness for that."
Troopers will also be working with Mississippi Highway Patrol and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on a concentrated enforcement effort on I-10 called "10-8 on 10, One Road, One Mission" to promote safety while traveling through each state. Authorities will focus on removing impaired drivers, promoting seatbelt usage, and deterring aggressive drivers.
The campaign will also focus on drivers who fail to move over when law enforcement, emergency, or tow vehicles are parked on the side of the road.
To report any hazardous situations, impaired drivers, or aggressive drivers, motorists are encouraged to dial *LSP (*577) from their cellular phone or contact local law enforcement by dialing 911.
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