The Winnfield Police Department is participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Grant funding was made available by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission to reimburse the city for over-time payments to officers to engage in this program.
“Labor Day weekend is typically one of the deadliest times of the year on our roadways, in part because people still choose to drive impaired,” cautioned Lt. Charles Curry. “Our Winnfield Police Department will utilize high-visibility saturated patrols from August 16 through September 2 in an effort to keep our roads safe.”
Impaired driving has risks. Included are: drivers could be arrested, or worse, be involved in a traffic crash that causes serious injury or death. In every state it is illegal to drive drunk or impaired, yet statistics show that a person is killed in a drunk-driving related crash every 39 minutes.
Police remind that impaired driving is not just alcohol related. It is also illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana, opioids, methamphetamine, or any potentially impairing drug, whether prescribed or over-the-counter. This is how these substances impair driving:
Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can impair the ability to drive because they slow coordination, judgment, and reaction times.
Cocaine and methamphetamine can make drivers more aggressive and reckless.
Using 2 or more drugs, including alcohol, can amplify the impairment effects of each drug a person has used.
Some prescription and over-the counter medicines can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and other side-effects. Read and follow all warning labels and note the warning “do not operate heavy machinery” includes driving a motor vehicle.
No Refusal policy–If a police officer arrests you for impaired driving, you will then be taken to the nearest jail facility to perform a breathalyzer test on a state approved, calibrated machine. There is an implied consent law that basically states that when you received and signed your driver’s license you gave consent to a breath test if suspected of impaired driving. You can refuse to take this test, with consequences such as having your license suspended for one year for your first refusal, 2 years for your second or subsequent refusal in a 10 -year period.
If you refuse the breath test, or do not give a proper sample as instructed by the operator of the machine, or the results are below the presumptive level of .08g% yet you are still showing signs of impairment, you will be taken to the hospital lab for a blood and urine draw to be sent to the crime lab for analysis for alcohol and other substances. You can also refuse this, but the officer must submit a request for a search warrant from a judge. If the judge finds probable cause, a search warrant will be issued for your blood and urine samples. If you resist the order of the search warrant, the fluid can be forcibly taken, and this will more than likely result in further criminal charges such as Resisting an Officer.
“Use Responsible Behavior,” cautions Lt. Curry. “We can all save lives by making smarter choices: Plan ahead for a designated, sober driver. Don’t let impaired friends get behind the wheel. If you’re hosting a party where alcohol or other substances will be used, it is your job to make sure all guests leave with a sober driver. And always wear your seat belt—it’s your best defense against impaired drivers.”