Police out in force all weekend to stop people from driving while impaired
The Ballwin Police Department has received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division for participation in the “You Drink & Drive, You Lose” campaign to stop people from driving impaired during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend.
Enforcement efforts will be increased March 12-14 in Ballwin and all over St. Louis County. The enforcement will focus on reducing deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers.
Officials said that in 2008, alcohol intoxication was a contributing factor in 156 fatal crashes and more than 1,600 injury accidents that occurred on Missouri’s roads.
Some of the consequences for being caught driving while intoxicated include:
* For the first conviction (or first conviction in over five years), your license will be suspended for 30 days followed by a 60-day suspension if a hardship license is not obtained.
* A second conviction results in a $1,000 fine, a year long revocation of your license and up to a year in jail. You will also be required to install an ignition interlock system on your vehicle, preventing your car from starting when you have alcohol on your breath.
* Third and subsequent convictions can be penalized with up to a $5,000 fine, a 10-year license denial, and/or up to seven years in prison.
* If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you could be charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony resulting in up to seven years of prison time, a $5,000 fine or both.
* Insurance coverage will be difficult to find and if you do, the rates will be significantly higher.
The St. Louis County Police Highway Safety Unit and officers from the Division of Patrol also will be checking motorists in an effort to reduce the number of intoxicated drivers on streets and highways.
Specially-trained officers will be conducting DWI Enforcement Sobriety Checkpoints on Fri., March 12 and Sat., March 13. Inconvenience to motorists will be minimal.
The officers participating in the enforcement have had additional training in the recognition of motorists who have had too much to drink or are under the influence of illegal drugs. Officers also will issue citations for seat belt and other violations.
"Removing intoxicated drivers from our roadways is a high priority for the St. Louis County Police," St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch said. "The use of checkpoints has been proven to be an effective method to accomplish this goal."
