Dover –  A total of 90 people were arrested statewide last week for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. Statewide, there have been 2,250 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.

DUI checkpoints continue and are scheduled for:

Friday July 31 –  Wilmington – (New Castle County DUI Taskforce)

Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders by using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive.  The campaign is a six month long effort coordinated locally by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints & patrols statewide.  Delaware had 4,086 DUI arrests statewide for 2014.

For a list of DUI checkpoints in your area text CHECKPOINT to 99000 or for a list of cabs text TAXI to 99000.  More information and resources on Checkpoint Strikeforce can be found at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.ArrriveAliveDE.com. Follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE, and subscribe to YouTube channel DelawareOHS.

Traffic fatalities are trending upward for 2015

Dover – Highway safety officials are urging motorists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians to focus on the task of driving and/or safely crossing the road.  May, June and July have seen an above-average number of fatalities as compared to the five-year average. Statewide, there were 34 fatalities between May and July and a total of 62 persons have lost their lives in fatal crashes this year.

A variety of factors are at work in causing the crashes according to fatality reports, but what appear to be common factors are speed, impairment, and unsafe crossing by pedestrians. The months of June and July have seen an increase in speed related crashes; July has 13 crashes alone.  Of those 13 crashes, five of them were crashes where a pedestrian died.  Since January 1^st of this year there have been a total of 18 pedestrian fatalities, compared to 10 at this time last year.

“An overwhelming majority of crashes are preventable. Using crosswalks, limiting your distractions and slowing down can prevent you from being involved in a crash,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Office of Highway Safety.

Motorcycle crashes are also trending upward with 9 fatalities to date this year. There were 15 motorcycle fatalities in all of 2014.  Factors leading to motorcycle crashes include speed and loss of control.  “With many more warm riding days ahead, we urge motorcyclists to freshen up their riding skills and take one of the rider training courses offered by DMV or other partners,”  said Alison Kirk Community Relations Officer, Office of Highway Safety. “If the crash trend continues, we may end with more motorcycle fatalities than last year.”

OHS reminds all drivers to go back to the basics of driving safety:  slow down, don’t drink and drive and always buckle up.  Plan extra time to get to any destination so you don’t let traffic frustration cause you to make a bad decision behind the wheel.

Follow OHS for regular updates on Facebook ArriveAliveDE, Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, and www.ohs.delaware.gov.

Dover –  A total of 78 people were arrested statewide last week for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. Of those 78 individuals, four (4) were arrested at DUI checkpoints conducted by the New Castle County DUI Task Force and Delaware State Police. Police officers also made 32 other traffic arrests.  Statewide, there have been 2,077 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.

DUI checkpoints continue and are scheduled for:

Saturday July 18 –  Bear/New Castle – (New Castle County DSP Troops)

Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders by using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive.  The campaign is a six month long effort coordinated locally by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints & patrols statewide.  Delaware had 4,086 DUI arrests statewide for 2014.

For a list of DUI checkpoints in your area text CHECKPOINT to 99000 or for a list of cabs text TAXI to 99000.  More information and resources on Checkpoint Strikeforce can be found at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.ArrriveAliveDE.com. Follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE, and subscribe to YouTube channel DelawareOHS.

Dover – A total of one hundred people were arrested statewide last week for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. Of those 100 individuals, six (6) were arrested by the New Castle County DUI Task Force at a checkpoint conducted in Newport over the holiday weekend. Police officers also arrested 16 individuals for drugs, apprehended 2 wanted persons, made 1 underage drinking arrest and also made 5 other criminal arrests. Statewide, there have been 1,999 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.

DUI checkpoints continue and are scheduled for:

Friday July 10 – Newark – (NCCo DUI Task Force)
Saturday July 11 – Dover – (DSP Troop 3)

Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders by using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive. The campaign is a six month long effort coordinated locally by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints & patrols statewide. Delaware had 4,086 DUI arrests statewide for 2014.

For a list of DUI checkpoints in your area text CHECKPOINT to 99000 or for a list of cabs text TAXI to 99000. More information and resources on Checkpoint Strikeforce can be found at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.ArrriveAliveDE.com. Follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE, and subscribe to YouTube channel DelawareOHS.

Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign begins this weekend

Dover – Heading out for happy hour? Stopping off for a nightcap? Getting one last drink before last call? All those terms take on a whole new meaning when you get stopped for driving under the influence (DUI).  Happy hour is now sitting in jail waiting for bail, nightcap is now taking a breathalyzer test, and last call is your only call from jail.  Don’t let a DUI redefine your night.  The Delaware Office of Highway Safety along with law enforcement across the state are cracking down on impaired driving and launching the 15^th Annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign this holiday weekend.  Last year alcohol was involved in 54 percent of the 111 fatal crashes, which resulted in 67 individuals killed.

The first checkpoint of the season is scheduled for:

            Friday July 3rd – Newport – (NcCo DUI Task Force)

Sobriety checkpoints will be scheduled to take place each week during the six month long Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign along with DUI saturation patrols.  There will also be additional enforcement during peak holiday times including Labor Day, Halloween, and the month of December.

Fortunately Delaware has seen a decrease in the number of alcohol-related fatalities this year compared to this time last year.  Twenty (20) of this year’s 48 traffic deaths (43%) have been alcohol-related.  At this time last year there were 63 fatalities and 63% involved alcohol.

The New Castle County DUI Task Force will again be sworn in by the Delaware Attorney General to conduct sobriety checkpoints throughout the county during the campaign.  The swearing-in ceremony provides the legal justification necessary to allow police officers to make DUI arrests in towns outside their own jurisdiction.

Delaware State Police will participate and also conduct checkpoints in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. Dover PD will conduct checkpoints once a month in their town jurisdiction.

The campaign’s enforcement activities will be supplemented by an all new intense public awareness and education campaign that highlight the fact that a DUI can redefine your night and your life. Paid messages will be placed on T.V. and radio, billboards, print, online, Pandora, movie theater ads, and store floor clings. See website www.ArriveAliveDE.com/DriveSober.  Paid messages will also be included in Spanish print and radio ads.  OHS will continue to tally the total number of DUI arrests made each week in Delaware and display the total on billboards in New Castle County and Sussex County and on the website www.ArriveAliveDE.com/DriveSober.  OHS’s corporate partners will also receive flyers, posters, and table tents to display and help spread the message.

Those convicted of a first time DUI offense in Delaware may spend up to 1 year in prison, and will lose their license, attend an 8-week DUI treatment program and pay thousands of dollars in court, treatment, DMV, and lawyer’s fees (approximately $6,300).

Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders by using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive.  The campaign is a six month long effort coordinated locally by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints & patrols statewide.  Delaware had 4,086 DUI arrests statewide for 2014.

For a list of DUI checkpoints in your area text CHECKPOINT to 99000 or for a list of cabs text TAXI to 99000.  More information and resources on Checkpoint Strikeforce can be found at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com. Follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE, and subscribe to YouTube channel DelawareOHS.