Multiple Agencies Team Up to Keep Holiday Travelers Safe

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety sent this bulletin at 11/21/2018 12:00 PM CST

Multiple Agencies Team Up to Keep Holiday Travelers Safe

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) and the ENDUI team will partner with five agencies in northeastern Oklahoma to conduct an impaired driving enforcement campaign on Saturday, Nov. 24.

The OHP will be joined by the Adair County Sheriff's Office, Watts Police Department, Westville Police Department, Stilwell Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshals for a high-visibility campaign to get impaired drivers off Oklahoma roads.

"During the holidays, especially, we try to maximize the amount of manpower we have on the roads," said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Damon Tucker.

During the 2017 Thanksgiving holiday period, there were a total of 636 crashes in Oklahoma. Of those 636 crashes, 60 were alcohol and/or drug-related crashes. A total of nine people died last year due to these crashes. That's nine family members that won't be celebrating the holidays this year.

"The OHP is excited to be joined by the men and women of these five other agencies for this campaign. With all of these agencies working together and all of our resources, we will have a very visible presence on the roads," said Tucker.

There is absolutely no reason for impaired driving collisions to happen. If you are drinking, have a plan to get home safe.

"We will be out in force looking for impaired drivers, seat belt and child restraint use, as well as other traffic violations to make sure everyone gets to their destinations and back home safely," said Tucker.

FOR RELEASE

November 21, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT

Trooper Zachary Woods
Zachary.Woods@dps.ok.gov (405) 990-7364

Captain Damon Tucker

Here are some tips from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office on safe driving this holiday season:

Always buckle up! Every passenger in your vehicle should be buckled up before you hit the roads.
Traveling with children? Make sure they’re in the proper car seat! The right car seat and child restraint system can make the difference between walking away from a crash and never celebrating another holiday. Not sure if your car seat is installed properly? Visit bit.ly/InstallationHelp before you hit the roads to have someone check for you.
Make sure those kiddos are bundled up before you head out, but take their coats off before putting them in their car seats. The bulky jackets can make the harness fit incorrectly.
If you’re planning to have some eggnog or wine with your Thanksgiving dinner, make sure you have a sober driver to take you home. Last year, nine people were killed during the holiday season on Oklahoma roads in alcohol and/or drug-related crashes. That’s nine people who don’t get to toast at Thanksgiving again.
After you eat your big turkey meal, take a nap! Drowsy driving can be worse for some people than drunk driving. Never get behind the wheel if you’re sleepy; let someone else drive!
Take a minute to share your location with your family before you leave so you won’t be tempted to text them with an updated location! Remember, phone down, eyes up!

The ENDUI enforcement team coordinates multi-jurisdictional events on a regular basis, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols. These efforts are needed to impact Oklahoma’s impaired driving problem across the state. The locations of these activities are driven by data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and by local request.

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The ENDUI Oklahoma program is a program of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and is funded through impaired driving grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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