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Law enforcement agencies step up DUI prevention efforts
Renewed efforts to catch intoxicated drivers in Mountain Home and across southern Idaho led to a record-number of arrests already this year, according to law enforcement representatives.
Since January, the city police department arrested 59 people for driving under the influence, already surpassing the total number of drunken driving arrests in 2009, according to city police chief John Walter.
Of those arrested to date, nine had previous drunken driving charges with one a three-time offender. Four of these 59 people were classified as excessively intoxicated with blood-alcohol content tests exceeding .15 percent -- more than twice the legal limit. In addition, two of the arrests involved drivers under the age of 21.
The police chief feels this latest trend doesn't mean more people are choosing get behind the wheel after drinking. A drop in local crimes earlier this year allowed city patrol officers to focus more on identifying and stopping motorists showing signs of drunken driving.
"I honestly think we're catching more," Walter said.
Meanwhile, other local and state law enforcement agencies continued their efforts to crack down on drunken drivers. In 2008, the Idaho State Police created a DUI strike team to step up its law enforcement presence on state highways, especially during the nighttime hours when the see the highest number of intoxicated drivers, said Capt. Steve Richardson, a spokesman with the state police department.
In 2009, the Idaho State Police arrested 960 intoxicated drivers across 10 southwestern counties, including Elmore County. The new strike team accounted for more than half of those arrests, Richardson said. The arrest figures in 2009 nearly tripled its annual numbers for 2007 when state police arrested 358 people for driving under the influence.
"Drunk driving is a significant public safety issue," Richardson said.
The trooper's statement comes two weeks after a fatal accident west of Glenns Ferry. Two adults and their two children died Aug. 12 when an intoxicated driver crashed headfirst into their car on the interstate.
It's preventable tragedies like this that encourages Walter and his fellow officers to maintain a zero tolerance stance on those who choose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
"If we stop you and you're drunk, you're going to get arrested," the police chief said. "It doesn't matter who you are or who you know... you're going to jail. I don't have a problem with that at all."
The department's midnight shift typically sees the highest number of drunken drivers on city streets. They comprise about 90 percent of the arrests to date with most cases happening between midnight to 2 a.m. The remaining cases involve drivers apprehended during the early evening or morning hours.
Many of these traffic stops happen because someone ran a stop light or other traffic signal, weaved across lanes of traffic or had a burned out headlight or turn signal, said Police Sgt. Rick Viola, a spokesman with the city police department. With fewer drivers on the road during the early morning hours, it's much easier to spot drivers struggling to maintain their lane or running a stop sign.
During a routine traffic stop, officers look for tell-tale signs of intoxication. In addition to the smell of alcohol on their breath, people under the influence of alcohol typically have blood-shot eyes, their speech is slurred and they fumble with simple instructions like reaching in their wallet for their driver's license.
If they suspect a driver is drunk, police officers follow up with a horizontal nystagmus gaze test. Using a pen, officers track the person's eye movement, which deviates drastically in those under the influence. They follow up with a breathalyzer test to confirm their suspicions.
Despite the increased number of DUI-related arrests in Mountain Home, the city police chief does see some encouraging news. In many cases, people here make the smart choice and find safe ways to get home. Walter expresses some relief each time he drives past the El Rancho parking lot near the city's bar district on Saturday and Sunday mornings. From his perspective, a good morning means this parking lot is filled with vehicles left there overnight.
Each parked car represents at least one person "who found a ride home and left their car there rather than drive drunk or impaired," Walter added. "Every one of those that I see we certainly see as a potential tragedy that was avoided because someone made a good decision."
However, life gets tough for those that make the wrong decision, according to the police chief. In addition to jail time, probation, loss of driving privileges, fines and court fees, a DUI conviction comes with other penalties, including higher insurance premiums.
In fact, insurance companies generally look unfavorably at people with a drunken driving conviction, said Steve Wessela from the State Farm insurance office in Mountain Home.
"It's never a good thing to get a DUI. Some companies will drop you while others may accept high-risk drivers," Wessela said. "Even in the best circumstances, it'll cost them money."
Someone convicted of drunken driving may pay $3,000 to $5,000 in legal expenses combined with higher insurance premiums, "but it could cost you a whole lot more," he added.
In some cases, people associated with an insurance company for a number of years may get a break and not see their monthly premiums jump as much as those with a short-term relationship with the same company, Wessela said.
"The insurance industry used to be black and white on this issue," Wessela said. People with even one DUI were considered high-risk clients and often unacceptable to keep insured.
However, data gathered in recent years helped ease some of these restrictions on first-time offenders, especially those with blood-alcohol content ratings just above the legal limit. Typically, these people avoid a repeat offense and never get back behind the wheel unless they're sober.
But it's the repeat offenders that concerns insurance companies, he said. Those pulled over for a second or subsequent DUI and drivers clearly over the legal limit face a greater challenge getting insurance coverage.
"It will be expensive for them," Wessela added.
A 23-year police veteran including 2 1/2 as the city police chief here, Walter has little to no sympathy for anyone that drinks and drives. Over the years, he lost count on the number of times he knocked on someone's door to break the news regarding a loved one killed in an alcohol-related crash.
It never gets any easier to break this news to families, Walter said.
Following the Glenns Ferry crash, the police chief leveled a stern warning -- and a promise -- to those who ignore common sense and get behind the wheel after drinking.
"If you drive drunk on a regular basis in Mountain Home, I am confident that we're going to find you," Walter said. "If you're doing it on a regular basis, you're playing Russian roulette, and we're going to find you."