In advance of what is expected to be two very busy holiday driving periods, state police in Indiana County announced that they will step up patrol efforts to reduce reckless and impaired driving.
State Police Station Commander Lt. Joseph A. Loughran said in a news release that the Indiana patrol units are expected to step up efforts over the Christmas driving period, which will start on Sunday, December 23rd and go through Christmas Day, and over the New Year’s Driving period, which runs from December 30th to January 1st. The patrol efforts will focus on DUI and seatbelt violations.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration said that a DUI arrest can cost a person $10,000 in attorney fees, on top of fines and court costs. A DUI arrest also means lost time at work, higher car insurance rates, car towing and repair fees, and other costs.
Across the state last year at Christmas, troopers investigated 529 crashes. Of those crashes, 60 were alcohol-related, five people were killed and another 102 were injured. Troopers also made 243 DUI-related arrests last year over the Christmas driving period, and issued over 1200 speeding tickets.
