Police departments around Northwest Arkansas will step up enforcement efforts against drunken driving during the July 4 holiday.
Over the July 4 holiday in 2013 there were 199 people killed in crashes that involved a driver impaired by alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2013 count started at 6 p.m. July 3 and ended at 5:59 a.m. July 8.
Nearly 40 percent of all traffic fatalities over the July 4 holiday during a five-year span from 2009 through 2013 involved someone who was driving while impaired, according to statistics from the administration. The blood alcohol concentration of 21 percent of those involved in fatal crashes during that period was 0.15 or higher. It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams per deciliter or higher in every state, according to information released by the administration.
Bentonville, Fayetteville and Rogers police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office will be out in force, according to news releases issued by the departments.
"Bentonville Police Department is ramping up their enforcement to make our roads safer this Fourth of July," said Cpl. Mike Calnan. "For everyone's sake, don't drink and drive or you will be arrested. The 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign means zero tolerance for drunk driving -- no excuses."
The Benton County Sheriff's Office will conduct a "No Refusal Weekend" over the July 4 weekend. If a driver or boater is suspected of alcohol impairment and refuses a breath test, deputies will get a search warrant for a blood sample.
Drunken driving is preventable, police spokesmen said. They recommend planning a way home before partying or designating a sober driver. If everyone has been drinking they recommend calling a friend, a taxi or taking a bus. If friends are drinking, law enforcement recommend finding them a sober ride. If another driver is driving while drunk they recommend reporting the incident.
Drunken drivers were especially common at night in 2013 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Forty-two percent of fatal nighttime crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers over the July 4 holiday in 2013. That increased to 55 percent between 9 p.m. and midnight. During the day only 13 percent of fatal accidents involved an alcohol-impaired driver during the same period.
Drivers in the 18 to 34-year-old bracket made up 35 percent of impaired drivers in fatal crashes during the July 4 holiday in 2013.
Fatal accidents involving motorcyclists showed 27 percent had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
During 2013 a total of 10,076 people died in a alcohol-related crash, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of those 65 percent were alcohol-impaired drivers, 27 percent were their passengers and 8 percent were not in the car with the drunken driver.
For more information about the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.
NW News on 06/28/2015