IDAHO, USA — Idahoans can expect to see more patrol cars on the road as Labor Day weekend approaches.
The Canyon County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that agencies across the Gem State are combining efforts to limit the number of impaired drivers that historically increase during, and up to, the holiday weekend. Beginning Friday, August 18, the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and more than 50 other law enforcement agencies will be looking for drivers that appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The high visibility enforcement campaign is part of the national effort, "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over." The campaign coincides with the busy summer driving season, annually dubbed the "100 Deadliest Days" - the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends when Idaho sees an increase in deadly crashes. The 2023 Deadliest Days season claimed 70 lives on Idaho roads.
According to Idaho crash data, impaired driving was the cause of 1,729 crashes in the state in 2021, killing 108 people and injuring hundreds more. The data showed that 39% of all fatalities on Idaho roadways are the result of an impaired driving crash.
"These crashes and deaths are preventable," said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. "We can all do our part to help keep communities whole by planning ahead for a sober ride home."
Read more about the campaign at the Idaho Office of Highway Safety website here.
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