State police, others will conduct DWI Checkpoint Thursday | Events

As part of ongoing proactive efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roadways, Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop L will collaborate with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Twenty-First Judicial District Attorney’s Office to conduct a no refusal DWI checkpoint on Thursday, Dec. 27 at an undisclosed location in Tangipahoa Parish.  

The checkpoint will begin at approximately 88 p.m.  In addition to increased DWI enforcement, Troopers will be focusing on motorists not wearing seat belts, unrestrained children in vehicles, and any dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, following too close, and driving while distracted.

According to research conducted by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, 251 alcohol related fatalities were reported across Louisiana in 2011 with nearly 7000 suspected impaired drivers refusing to submit to a breath alcohol test.  The No Refusal initiative addresses this issue through the cooperative efforts of law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, and district judges to quickly obtain search warrants for blood samples from suspected impaired drivers who refuse the breath test.  During these specified enforcement efforts, prosecutors and judges make themselves available to streamline the warrant acquisition process and help build solid cases that can lead to impaired driving convictions.

The task of stopping impaired drivers is a joint effort of law enforcement agencies and the public. By never allowing an impaired driver to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and reporting dangerous drivers to law enforcement, the public can play an important role in the reduction of crashes caused by impaired drivers.  Making poor decisions in a vehicle such as driving impaired, driving while distracted, or not wearing a seat belt leads to serious injuries and deaths every day across the state.  Making the responsible decision can mean the difference between life and death.  

Contact the Louisiana State Police by dialing *LSP or (*577) on your cell phone to report impaired drivers and dangerous roadway conditions.

Citizens and visitors are also urged to enroll in Nixle Alerts for real time updates on roadway closures, crash locations, and pertinent safety information for their region of the state. To enroll visit www.nixle.com, complete the required information, and select Louisiana State Police as your agency.

For more information regarding specific enforcement activities and safety campaigns, please visit www.lsp.org or www.facebook.com/LouisianaStatePolice.