PENDLETON, Ind. — A statewide driving under the influence enforcement project by State Police last weekend resulted in 356 impaired driving arrests, 3,242 traffic citations and 6,018 written warnings.
Officers also made 370 arrests for various criminal violations, according to State Police.
The operation was done between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday across the state. Enforcement personnel throughout the state were assigned to this detail to seek and arrest impaired drivers, according to the release from State Police.
Impaired driving remains one of the country's deadliest problems, according to the release.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2008, 37,261 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle crashes. That same year, 11,773 people were killed in crashes that involved a driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. That means every 45 minutes someone in the U.S. died in a crash involving an impaired driver.
In Indiana, in 2009, there were a total of 189,676 crashes -- 8,855 of them were alcohol related, according to the release. State Police said the purpose of the two-day enforcement campaign was to remove impaired drivers from state roadways before they caused needless pain, suffering and death to innocent victims.
The agency has committed to reducing the number of impaired driving crashes. As of Oct. 1, State Police have made 7,195 impaired driving arrests. In 2009, troopers
arrested 9,395 impaired drivers, a 34 percent increase over 2008.
In the Pendleton District over the two-day enforcement, there were 27 impaired driving arrests and 21 arrests for various criminal violations. Troopers also issued 206 traffic citations and 361 written warnings.
Motorists are encouraged to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911. Callers should give a vehicle description, location and direction of travel. Never follow an impaired driver, according to the release.
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
