Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct checkpoints on December 27, 2019, in Lafourche Parish. A seat belt checkpoint will be conducted during the evening hours of Friday, December 27, followed by a DWI checkpoint which will continue into the early morning hours of Saturday, December 28. This checkpoint is being conducted in coordination with the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which began on December 13, 2019, and runs through January 1, 2020. The campaign is coordinated and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.

During the seat belt checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and other potential violations. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.

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 2018, 311 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in Louisiana alone.

Sheriff Craig Webre reminds citizens to have a plan to get home safely before you decide to drink. Never drive if you have had anything to drink containing alcohol. Remember that driving under the influence of illegal narcotics can also lead to a DWI arrest. In fact, some legal medications can impair your ability to drive. Always read warning labels and instructions on prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Sheriff Webre also thanks citizens for their cooperation and patience when passing through these checkpoints and for recognizing the importance of raising awareness for safety issues.