More DUI checkpoints set for upcoming weekend.

Dover – Eight (8) people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs during the inaugural weekend of the 2012 Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI prevention campaign.  Officers statewide conducted three sobriety checkpoints in Newport, Georgetown, and Magnolia.

In addition to the checkpoint DUI arrests, officers issued 1 citation for underage drinking, 1 cell phone citation, apprehended 5 wanted individuals, made 1 drug arrest, issued 16 seat belt citations, and 61 citations for various other traffic violations.

Four checkpoints are scheduled to take place the weekend of July 6th.   They are scheduled for:

Friday July 6th –    Newark- (NCCo DUI Task Force)- checkpoint

Milford (multi-jurisdictional effort)- checkpoint

Saturday July 7^th –   Smyrna (multi-jurisdictional effort)- checkpoint

Rehoboth (multi-jurisdictional effort)- checkpoint

Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders, and using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive.  The campaign, a six month long effort running through New Year’s Eve, involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints statewide.

For more information on Checkpoint Strikeforce visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com and follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

Are You That Guy? Aggressive Driving TV Commercial

Dover – During the first wave of enforcement, 5 drivers were found ‘to be that guy’ and cited for Aggressive Driving as part of the ‘Are You That Guy?’ aggressive driving campaign.

Delaware police officers also cited 529 individuals for speeding, 29 for failing to obey stop signs/red lights, 26 unsafe lane changes, 33 seat belt citations, 6 child restraint violations, 33 cell phone citations, and issued 177 other traffic citations during the first wave of enforcement.

When an officer observes a driver committing three or more traffic violations in a single incident,  the driver is charged with Aggressive Driving.  Violations include speeding, failing to yield right of way, tailgating, making improper lane changes, running red lights or stop signs, failure to use turn signals, and passing on the right,    Drivers cited for aggressive driving will be assessed 6 points on their licenses and charged fines between $100 and $300.   They are also required to pay an additional $100 fee to complete an 8 hour behavior modification/attitudinal driving course within 90 days after the conviction for aggressive driving. Failure to complete the course will result in suspension of the individuals’ driving privileges.

Delaware State Police in all three counties, along with the New Castle County, Dover, Milford and Wilmington Police agencies will continue to conduct aggressive driving patrols during the second wave of enforcement that begins June 4^th,  followed by 2 other waves in July and August.  Police are being asked to focus on the top four aggressive driving violations in the State of Delaware with the primary focus on drivers who fail to yield the right of way to other drivers.  Failure to yield the right of way violations include drivers who turn left in front of another vehicle, pull out in front of other vehicles at stop signs and fail to merge safely.  It is also the primary contributing factor in aggressive driving related fatal and injury crashes.

In 2011, 39% of all fatal crashes were related to acts of aggressive driving. Currently in 2012, 12 of the 30 fatal crashes (40%) have been attributed to aggressive driving behaviors; 6 for failure to grant right of way, 2 for speed, 1 for failure to obey stop sign and 3 for driving over the center line.

To learn more about aggressive driving and find out if you are ‘that guy’ take the quiz here www.AggressivedrivingDE.com. For more information on Respect The Sign campaign or any of the other OHS campaigns visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE or follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe.