Local police departments come together for ght against DUIs
Don’t be a turkey this Thanksgiving. Too much booze — or even drugs or pot — puts you in the lot of those who lose.
Impaired driving is about people who act foolishly, say police who will be looking for lane drifters, speeders and slow pokes, white-line crossers, headlight-less drivers and others showing unsafe behaviors connected to impaired driving.
“People need to have a plan before they go out,” said Lt. Don Barrington, of the North Kingstown Police Department, who said these and other signs indicate that a driver may be over the legal alcohol limit or driving under the influence of drugs or marijuana.
He is coordinating a special Thanksgiving holiday operation with the South Kingstown, Narragansett, East Greenwich, Richmond, Hopkinton, Charlestown, Westerly, and Rhode Island State Police.
“There’s no excuse for driving impaired when we have ride-share programs they can use. There are so many different options,” said Barrington, who has been part of the statewide DUI police task force for over a decade.
The enforcement effort will begin with a focus on Thanksgiving
Eve and continue until the next morning. It will take place on major highways in the participating towns as well as other streets and roads, he said.
Convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs carry several penalties, including: Possible jail sentence of up to one year in jail, mandatory license suspension from three to eighteen months, mandatory community service from 10 to 60 hours, fines of not less than $100, nor more than $500 or fees that can reach a few thousand dollars.
The towns are receiving federal funds to pay for additional officers to assist in the patrols. Furthermore, the State Police will also patrol state highways and join some local patrols, Barrington explained.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend from 20172021, over 830 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver.
“The holiday period begins on Thanksgiving Eve when we typically see people begin to gather with family and friends. In fact, from 20172021, 137 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve were drunk,” the agency said.
“It’s important to understand even a small amount of alcohol can affect a person quickly. For example, someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can have some loss of judgment,” the agency added.
Barrington agreed. “I think that people don’t realize how impaired they are. In my 22 years I’ve made arrests, I never heard anyone say, ‘I don’t think I cannot drive,’” he said.
“They often say, ‘I have to get home. I’m okay,’” he said, and added, “but they’re not.” The lieutenant stated that drivers are responsible for their actions. However, restaurants, bars, pubs, and social hosts who entertain them also have a duty to prevent drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.
The lieutenant emphasized that these establishments and hosts not only have a moral responsibility but could also face civil repercussions if someone drives drunk from their premises and causes a crash that results in death or injury to others.
According to recent statistics from the State Department of Transportation, out of the 63 fatalities in 2021, more than one-third, or 24, involved an impaired driver.
Charles St. Martin, the spokesperson for RIDOT, reported that as of September, there have been 58 traffic fatalities in 2023. At this same point last year, there were 39 traffic fatalities for the year.
With just over a month remaining in 2023, South Kingstown police have made over 111 DUI arrests this year. In 2022, there were a total of 113 arrests. Previous years saw 58 arrests in 2021, 83 in 2020, and 105 in 2019, according to department records.
In Narragansett, police made 64 DUI arrests from January to September 2023. In the previous July to June period in 2022, there were 64 arrests in all, and 57 in 2021 for the same timeframe
From January to October, the North Kingstown police made 39 DUI arrests. In 202122, there were 57 arrests, and in 2022-23, police made 58 arrests of impaired motorists.
“We continue to see two frightening trends: drivers who are impaired during the day and those who are far over the legal BAC limit,” said Matthew C. Moynihan, South Kingstown police chief.
“We urge people to make better choices so that they do not hurt themselves or others. Designate a driver, stay over, or call a rideshare, but do not get behind the wheel of a car if you have been drinking or using drugs,” he said in a statement last weekend.
Several legislators plan to reintroduce a legislative package that will strengthen penalties for drunk, impaired, and reckless driving offenses.
“Even a single roadway fatality is one too many. That’s why I have made roadway safety a priority throughout my time in the Senate,” said state Senator Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown).
“This year, Rhode Island has seen an alarming increase in deaths on our roadways. Along with that increase has been a disturbing spike in the number of impaired drivers who are involved in fatal crashes,” she said.
“It is time we significantly strengthen penalties for impaired and reckless driver, both to hold these drivers accountable, and to deter others from getting behind the wheel,” Sosnowski added.