Officers on alert during holiday

The Louisiana State Police and St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office will be on alert during the New Year’s holidays to ensure residents’ safety as they travel.

State police began implementing DWI “No Refusal” checkpoints and patrols Tuesday to make sure safety and sober driving are the number one priority this New Year’s.

It started in Lafayette Parish and is expanding throughout the Troop I jurisdiction, which includes St. Mary Parish.

Troop I troopers are aggressively patrolling the highways this entire holiday week, according to a Louisiana State Police news release. Individuals suspected of impaired driving and refusing to submit to a chemical test, a search warrant for a blood or urine sample will be submitted to a judge for review.

If probable cause exists, the judge could sign a warrant requiring drivers to submit to the test.

Anyone operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more by weight based on grams of alcohol per one hundred cubic centimeters of blood is against the law in Louisiana.

Typical effects on someone with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams are poor muscle coordination affecting balance, speech, vision, reaction and hearing. It is also harder to detect danger.

In addition, a person’s judgment, self-control, reasoning and memory are impaired.

State police implemented the “No Refusal” program based on the nationwide trend of increased alcohol consumption during the holidays.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office plans to keep an eye out for any impaired drivers on the roadway, said St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s spokesperson Traci Landry. Patrolmen will be on the streets watching for activity.

“We always ask the public to give us a call if they see someone acting recklessly and see suspicious activity,” Landry said.

If it’s an emergency, residents are urged to call 911.

St. Mary Parish remains consistent year to year with its holiday enforcement procedures as far as what people need to be responsible for during the New Year’s holidays.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Louisiana incurred 3,046 deaths due to crashes involving a drunk driver from 2003-12.
Both nationally and in Louisiana, more women are killed than men.

The percentage of adults in Louisiana who reported driving after drinking too much is 2.5, according to a CDC report. The national percentage of adults reporting is 1.9 percent.

“Crashes involving serious injuries and fatalities historically are attributed to impaired drivers during holiday weekends,” according to the news release.

“Holidays are a time for fun and sometimes can lead to consuming substances that cause impaired driving. This New Year’s, enjoy the festivities and help make this a safe holiday.”

Fireworks are not allowed across the parish except at the Chitimacha reservation.

“I want to remind people of that even though it’s no fun,” Landry said. “You can’t pop fireworks. We’re just enforcing the parish ordinance. … We want people to be aware, safe. Don’t drive drunk.”