The Idaho State Police charged 56 drivers with driving under the influence (DUI) over the course of the Fourth of July holiday. These figures refer to the DUI charges against drivers during the first week of July alone. And they mark a significant uptick compared to other first-week figures for months like June or August.
According to the details shared by ISP, the troopers as well as other law enforcement agencies were on the alert for DUI driver during the Fourth of July holidays. Holidays are typically marked by more drivers on the roads and an above-average number of drunk drivers. For this reason, ISP and other agencies were on the lookout for any impaired drivers to get them off the road and prevent accidents.
In doing so, ISP partnered with the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety. On the Fourth of July weekend, ISP and the Office of Highway Safety came together. The aim was to increase the total number of patrols. With the higher number of patrols and more troopers on the lookout, it became possible for the state police to nab a large number of DUI drivers during the first week.
At this point, it is not clear whether any DUI crashes occurred in Idaho over the Fourth of July weekend, and if so how many. Available figures show that between July 1 and July 7, the state police responded to five fatal crashes. Of these, at least three crashes involved drivers who were found to be driving under the influence, prompting formal DUI charges against them.
Idaho has stiff penalties in place for DUI offenses. For the first DUI offense in Idaho, the punishment includes a fine of up to $1,000 and jail time of up to 6 months. Subsequent offenses come with enhanced penalties. Contact our Boise DUI attorneys today.
Source: https://idahonews.com/news/local/idaho-state-police-charged-56-drivers-with-dui-over-fourth-of-july-holiday