Halloween Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

This Halloween let’s make happy memories, not tragic nightmares. The only thing scarier than zombies and witches loose on the streets is an impaired driver.

It’s time to finalize your plans. Costume? Check. Candy stash? Check. Sober ride? Better double check! This Halloween, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are teaming up to remind drivers about the deadly consequences of impaired driving. If you are under the influence and you choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you put everyone in danger, including yourself. Help us spread this lifesaving message: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.

It is illegal nationwide to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol— no exceptions. Impaired driving poses a threat to the driver, vehicle passengers, and other road users. Although Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, we’re certain to see extra parties throughout the weekend, and every single partygoer should plan their sober ride home in advance.  If you plan to use an impairing substance, you should plan for a sober ride home.

So, if you plan to drive, plan to refrain from alcohol or drugs.  If you do plan to enjoy some witch’s brew, be sure to arrange a sober ride home in advance.  Stay safe on Halloween night, our kids are depending on all of us to keep them safe.  Halloween is meant to be scary, but not when it comes to driving.  Yet, when it comes to impaired driving, Halloween can turn the roads into a horror fest.

Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department —- KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!

Labor Day DUI Campaign

Don’t Pay, Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Many Americans look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely. This Labor Day weekend, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18 through September 6, 2021. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in our community, you’ll see officers working together during this holiday weekend to take impaired drivers off the roads. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019, and one person was killed in an impaired driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019. This is why the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, but also a matter of life and death. As you head out to the Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were impaired (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were impaired, with BACs of .08 or higher.

The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911.
• Do you have a friend who intends to drive impaired? Be the friend to take the keys away to ensure your friend gets home safely.

As of 08/02/2021, 34 people have died on Vermont highways (26 operators, 4 passengers and 4 pedestrians).  Driver impairment, speed, failure to use safety restraints and distracted driving continue to be the leading causes for these tragedies. Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department – Keeping You Safe!!

High visibility enforcement has been the key to success in Grand Isle County evident in minimal law enforcement response to serious injury crashes or fatalities.  Please continue to help us prevent senseless tragedies!  Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department – Keeping You Safe!!!!!

St Patrick’s Day Campaign

Saint Patrick’s Day Impaired Driving Prevention – March 17, 2021

Drinking Green Beer? Use a Designated Driver!

Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Impaired Driving

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America date back to the country’s founding. While this year’s celebration may look a little different, however you celebrate, make sure you and your friends stay safe this St. Paddy’s Day by remembering one important piece of advice: Buzzed Driving Is Impaired Driving. This means that if you plan to drink any alcoholic beverage, it is essential that you plan for a sober designated driver beforehand. To help keep your community safe, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to spread the message about the dangers of impaired driving. Even one drink can be one too many.

From 2015 to 2019, a total of 280 lives were lost in impaired-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day period. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who are impaired. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

Impaired driving is a continuing problem on our nation’s roads, especially around days like St. Patrick’s Day. Go out for a night of fun and return home safely by ensuring you have a sober driver take you home. Do not be the reason someone — including yourself — does not get home. Do not let St. Patrick’s Day become an anniversary of a tragic night. Before you put your keys in the ignition, remind yourself: Buzzed Driving Is Impaired Driving.

If you are the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the roads. Take the role of designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.

Please remember impaired driving is not only illegal but also deadly.  KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!

2020 Holiday DUI Enforcement

2020 HOLIDAY DUI ENFORCEMENT MOBILIZATION
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department to share the message about the dangers of impaired driving. From December 18, 2020, through January 1, 2021, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for impaired driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce impaired driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to impaired driving. Nationwide during the month of December 2018, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving an impaired driver. During the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2018 alone, there were more impaired-driving-related fatalities (285) than during any other holiday period that year. These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.
As of 12/06/2020, 61 people died this year on Vermont’s highways. This is 21 more fatalities than we had at this time last year, and we are on pace to have the highest number of fatalities since 2017. Driver impairment, speed, failure to use restraints, and distracted driving continue to be the leading causes for these tragedies.

Celebrate with a Plan

First and foremost, please think ahead. Be honest with yourself: You know whether you will attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you. Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and decide to get your friend home safely.

As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. The holidays should be an enjoyable time for our community, not a symbol for the death of a loved one due to an impaired-driving crash. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior. During the holidays, and every day, please remember that impaired driving is not only illegal, but also deadly.

KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!

Thanksgiving CIOT Campaign

2020 THANKSGIVING CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN

During the Thanksgiving holiday travel period millions of Americans hit the roads, eager to spend time with family and friends. Despite the current coronavirus pandemic and resulting restrictions, we still expect that it will be one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately, that means more crashes will occur.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department  is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a high-visibility Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign, [November 20 – November 29], to work toward reducing the number of fatalities that occur when drivers and passengers fail to buckle up.

So far in 2020, with less than eight weeks left in the year, we have lost 62 people to fatal crashes on Vermont roads. This represents an increase in fatalities of more than 60% compared to this same time last year. If you take into account the fact that our traffic volumes this year are lower than normal due to the pandemic, drastically lower in some cases (as much as a 68% decrease at the beginning of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order), our fatality rate in 2020 (number of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled) stands to be one of the highest ever recorded.

Tragically, more than half of those killed were not buckled up, a statistic that we see repeated year after year. Surviving the Thanksgiving drive can be as simple as wearing a seat belt. Or stated another way, wearing your seat belt is the simplest and most effective thing a person can do to improve their chances of surviving a motor vehicle crash.

First Responders see the effects of unbuckled driving all too often.  It is a tragic, preventable loss of life and cause of injury.  Law enforcement can make a difference by having a highly visible presence on our highways and strictly enforcing traffic laws, including occupant protection laws.

This Thanksgiving and every day of the year remember to please Click It or Ticket.

Help us keep you safe!

Labor Day DUI Campaign

Don’t Pay, Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

With Americans celebrating the warm Labor Day holiday weekend with extra enthusiasm this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to remind everyone about the dangers of impaired driving. This Labor Day weekend, NHTSA will join with the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department to spread the word about impaired driving dangers and to work together to get impaired drivers off the roads and help save lives. The high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 19 through September 7, 2020. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for impaired driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of impaired driving, coupled with law enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce impaired driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to impaired driving. According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in impaired-driving crashes in 2018. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 — one person was killed in impaired-driving crashes every 50 minutes in 2018. That is the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors.

During the 2018 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 31 – 5:59 a.m. September 4), there were 439 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-three percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were impaired (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2018, 47% of those drivers were impaired, with BACs of .08 or higher.

The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you have had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and ensure your friend gets home safely.

As of 08/03/2020, 35 people have died on Vermont highways compared to 14 deaths at this time last year (26 operators, 7 passengers and 2 pedestrians).  Driver impairment, speed, failure to use safety restraints and distracted driving continue to be the leading causes for these tragedies.

High visibility enforcement has been the key to success in Grand Isle County evident in minimal law enforcement response to serious injury crashes or fatalities.  Please continue to help us prevent senseless tragedies!  Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department – Keeping You Safe!!!!!

Car Seat Check

Super Bowl

Super Bowl LIV Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign

Super Bowl LIV is right around the corner. This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department to remind football fans and Super Bowl partygoers that designated drivers are the best defense against the dangers of drunk driving. Super Bowl LIV falls on Sunday, February 2, 2020. If your Super Bowl celebration involves alcohol, plan for a ride home with a sober driver. If you’re hosting the party, take care of the designated drivers. We want to remind everyone that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem, for men and for women alike. If drivers are impaired by any substance — alcohol or drugs — they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is illegal in all states to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. Remember: Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. It’s that simple.

If you’re heading out for a night of Super Bowl fun, make a game plan and follow these simple tips for a safe and happy evening:

• Remember that it is never okay to drive drunk. Designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely if you plan to drink.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

Remember: If you drive drunk, you may lose money, your reputation, your car, and even your life. Everyone should know by now that it is illegal to drive impaired. Even still, thousands die each year in drunk-driving-related crashes. In 2018, there were 10,511 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. The costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you can face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, car towing, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

Please remember that drunk driving isn’t only illegal, it’s deadly.  KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!

Holiday DUI Campaign

2019 HOLIDAY DUI ENFORCEMENT MOBILIZATION

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

No one wants to be a Grinch during the holiday season, but drunk driving is no joke, no matter the time of year. Unfortunately, instances of drunk driving increase during the holidays, as more people are attending parties and festivities, and then driving home. In 2017, 29% (10,874) of all vehicle crashes involved drunk drivers, and 885 of those deaths occurred in December alone.

This holiday season from 12/13/2019-01/01/2020, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. As you head out for a night of merry making, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Plan ahead for a sober ride home. If you plan to be someone else’s designated driver, commit to not drinking. Your friends are relying on you, and you could save a life.

According to NHTSA, 37,133 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2017, and 29% (10,874) of those fatalities occurred in crashes during which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08. The holidays prove to be extra dangerous to drivers, as more people — drivers and pedestrians alike — are out on the roads.

Too many people take to the roadways after consuming alcohol because they think they are “okay to drive.” They may think they’ve had enough to eat, enough water to drink, or that their weight may factor into the equation. But these are inaccurate ways of measuring whether you are safe to drive.

Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem, for men and for women alike. If drivers are impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is illegal in all states to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. Remember: Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. It’s that simple.

Party with a Plan

First and foremost: Plan ahead. Be honest with yourself: You know whether you’ll attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you. Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

· If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.

· Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

During the holidays, and every day, please remember that drunk driving isn’t only illegal, it’s deadly. KEEPING YOU SAFE!!!!

Thanksgiving Campaign

2019 THANKSGIVING CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN

Traveling Near or Far this Thanksgiving,
Click It or Ticket

With Thanksgiving being one of the busiest travel times of the year, the chances of being involved in a vehicle crash are greatly increased. Everyone wants you to get to the Thanksgiving table safely this year, so it’s critical to practice safe driving habits, like buckling your seat belt.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a high-visibility Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign, [November 27 – December 01], to work toward reducing the number of fatalities that occur when drivers and passengers fail to buckle up.

During the 2017 Thanksgiving weekend (6 p.m. Wednesday, November 22, to 5:59 a.m. Monday, November 27), 365 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide. Nighttime proved even more deadly, with 57% of Thanksgiving weekend crashes occurring at night. Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective thing anyone can do to prevent injury or death in a vehicle crash. The Click It or Ticket campaign combines powerful messages about seat belt safety with increased patrolling for all unbuckled motorists.

First Responders see the effects of unbuckled driving all too often. It’s a tragic, preventable loss of life and cause of injury. Whether you’re driving cross-country or across the street, you must wear your seat belt. The bottom line is this: That seat belt may very well mean the difference between life and death. This Thanksgiving, and every day of the year, remember: Click It or Ticket.

This Thanksgiving and every day of the year remember to please Click It or Ticket. Help us keep you safe!