.08 blood alcohol level
leads to increased police patrol
By Kyle Boggs
Summer
Reporter
Saturday night was just a preview of what is to
come on the Fourth of July.
Many people may have noticed the excessive amount
of police officers out enforcing .08, the new maximum blood alcohol
content for drivers.
"For the fourth, we are going to have many extra
patrols out on the streets," said Lt. Jeannette Bennet of the Lafayette
Police Department. "We will have 40 to 50 extra hours of patrol out."
Bennet said some officers will be engaging in what
is known as "saturation patrol," which is when a selected group of officers
do nothing but drive around town specifically looking for vehicles they
believe to be driven by alcohol-impaired drivers.
"If we can keep just one drunken driver off the
streets, then we can help save lives. Then we've done our job," she
said.
Bennet said advertisement of .08 will vastly increase
so everyone will be aware of the change.
In past years, during big holidays such as New
Year's Eve and the Fourth of July, the police have set up checkpoints
where cars are stopped at random. However, Capt. Mike Francis of the
West Lafayette Police Department said that a recent court case ruled
the checkpoints unconstitutional.
Besides .08 being the new maximum allowed level,
the new law also includes $500,000 in funding for more cameras in patrol
cars as well as new Breathalyzer machines for officers. The law will
also provide a prosecutor for police departments that specialize in
DUI and DWI cases.
"The most violent place is our highways and streets,"
said West Lafayette Mayor Sonya Margerum. "You're more likely to die
there than any other place. We need to educate people and everyone needs
to work on prevention efforts," she said. "This law is a great step
in this direction."
Not only is it a bad idea to drive while intoxicated,
but .08 also applies to those who decide to drink and operate a motorboat.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana is
one of only 11 states whose driving while intoxicated and boating while
intoxicated laws coincide. So, if someone is boating with a blood alcohol
content above .08, he is eligible for not only a fine but having points
added to his driver's license as well.
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