Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will join other local law enforcement agencies in participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs June 30th through July 5, 2017. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.

Additional deputies will be assigned to saturated patrol efforts, and deputies will also participate in a DWI checkpoint to be announced by the Louisiana State Police.

Remember that Lafourche Parish is a “No Refusal” parish, meaning if a suspected drunk driver refuses a breathalyzer test, deputies will seek a search warrant to have that person’s blood tested.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving is a deadly epidemic that takes the lives of more than 10,000 people each year, on average. In 2015, there was one drunk driving fatality every 51 minutes. These alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities accounted for 29 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in the United States in 2015. In Louisiana alone in 2015, there were 245 fatalities due to drunk driving.

Sheriff Craig Webre thanks citizens in advance for designating a driver if you plan to drink. He also thanks citizens for their cooperation and patience when passing through these checkpoints and for recognizing the importance of raising awareness for safety issues.